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MEMOIR 



OF THE 



REV. WILLIAM STAUGHTON, D. D. 



BY 

REV. S. W. 

Pastor of the Sixth Street BapT 




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jptisT (Tndtch, CinciflHPHB). 



BOSTON: \ 
LINCOLN, EDMANDS, & CO. 

AND HUBBARD AND E D M A N D S, C I N C I N N A T I. 

1834. 



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Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1834, by 

LINCOLN, EDMANDS & CO. 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 




Lewis & Penniman, Printers. 
Bromfield-street. 



PREFACE. 



The usefulness of biography does not remain to be test- 
ed. The pleasure afforded by a knowledge of the inci- 
dents that have occurred in the life of a distinguished 
individual, the satisfaction imparted to the circle of friend- 
ship v^hile retracing the features of the honored dead, and 
the influence which is shed over the community by such 
exhibitions, are advocates whose appeal is irresistible. 

Biography teaches by example, and example is, in many 
respects, infinitely superior to precept. It is a pleasant 
mode of imparting instruction, and rectifying the obliqui- 
ties of the heart. It may be contemplated as a mirror, in 
which the beholder has a view of his own defects, and by 
which he may be assisted to judge of the measure of his 
improvement. It gives less offence by the secrecy of its 
corrections than any other method, and may be considered 
more animating in its influence. That which has been 
accomplished, m«y he accomplished. The diligent student 
of medicine reads the life, marks the toil, gazes upon the 
eminence attained by former professors of the science, and 
nobly, enthusiastically determines, under the smiles of a 



llY PREFACE. 

favoring Providence, to reach the elevation of Harvey, and 
Goode, and Rush, and Wistar, and others, immortalized 
by fame. The youthful aspirant to military renovi^n, stud- 
ies the lives of Alexander and Caesar, among the most 
celebrated of antiquity — of Buonaparte, whose rapid and 
successful warfare astonished and paralyzed the energies 
of continental Europe, and in the fervors of lofty ambition 
is animated to press on to the same eminence. The min- 
ister of God to fallen man, who feels a lively interest in 
the salvation of the heathen, surveying the labors of those 
distinguished men, who have sacrificed all for the sake of 
Christ, is encouraged to follow their footsteps ; assured that 
He who has been the sustainer of Brainerd, and Carey, 
and Ward, and Judson, and other devoted missionaries, 
will be his supporter under the most perilous circum- 
stances. 

When the late Dr. Dwight was a boy, his father's house 
being the resort of intelligent and educated men, he listen- 
ed with the deepest interest to their conversation, on the 
great men of the age, both in this country and in Europe ; 
and it is said by his biographer, that " he then formed a 
settled resolution, that he would make every effort in his 
power to equal those whose talents and character he had 
heard so highly extolled." While the Rev. Mr. Chamber- 
lain, since deceased, was preparing for those missionary 
labors in India, in which he afterwards abounded, his 
journal records several instances of the effect of biograph- 
ical reading. At one time he writes — " I have been struck 
with wonder in reading the life of the pious Mr. Edwards. 



PREFACE. 



What holy resolutions ! What a sweet fervor of mind ! 
O may I imitate his example, especially his guard over his 
words, his grave deportment on the Lord's day, his early 
rising, and his habitual close thinking !" On another oc- 
casion he observes, " I have been reading the life of that 
dear man of God, John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians. 
O that I was of his spirit ! What love to God and man, 
what indefatigable zeal did he manifest !" 

In the present instance, the exalted talents of the sub- 
ject of this Memoir, give him a claim upon public atten- 
tion, and the public voice demands that his valuable ser- 
vices in society, and especially in the Christian community, 
should not be suffered to live merely in the recollection of 
the passing generation. A large circle of friends, who 
mourn his departure, are anxiously desiring that some tri- 
bute of memorial should exist through succeeding days. 
His eloquence, his public labors, his zeal for every noble 
institution, which the philanthropy of the age has reared, 
and the powerful influence which he exerted, in elevating 
the moral dignity of his species, imperiously call for an 
illustration of his history. The thousands who have list- 
ened with rapture to the messages of salvation that flowed 
from his lips, the numbers still living, from whose eye he 
has often chased away the tear of affliction, those gentle- 
men, who have been trained up by his hand for usefulness 
in society, and especially those whose gifts in the church 
he aided and cherished by his instructions, will review his 
life with peculiar satisfaction, and recall to mind, with sal- 
1* 



VI PREFACE. 

utary effect, the maxims of wisdom and piety which he 
was in the habit of imparting. 

The sources from which the materials of this work are 
supplied, will be found, partly in his own letters, and part- 
ly from official documents associated with his public du- 
ties ; but much of the information designed to be commu- 
nicated, is the result of personal observation, and familiar 
intercourse with him in the bosom of his family, for many 
years. Many of the facts, however, have been elicited 
from his particular friends, to whom the Editor tenders 
his unfeigned thanks. 

Solicited by friends of the deceased, and urged by a 
sense of duty, this work has been undertaken ; and it is 
now presented to the public with the hope that it will meet 
with a favorable reception, and prove useful to all who may 
examine its pages. 

Cincinnati y Jan. 10, 1834, 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 
Dr. Sharp's Letter to the Editor. 11 

CHAPTER I. 

His ancestors — incidents of his youth — early developement of 
talent — education — conversion — prosecution of his studies 
at the Bristol Institution — his usefulness in neighboring 
churches — call to the pastorship of the Baptist church at 
Northampton, as the successor of Dr. Ryland — Juvenile Po- 
ems, written at the age of seventeen. 17 

CHAPTER II. 

Circumstances which led to his settlement in this country — the 
high sense which his brethren in England entertained of his 
character — arrival in Charleston, S. C. and marriage — preach- 
ing in Georgetown, S. C. — removal to New York, and his 
afflictions there — removal to Bordentown, N. J. — his ordina- 
tion — circular on infidelity — removal to Burlington, N. J. — 
received degree of D. D. — visit to the West in 1804 — death 
of his eldest child. 27 

CHAPTER III. 

Removal to Philadelphia — connexion with the first Baptist 
church — condition of the Baptists in that church, and their 
subsequent prosperity — Sabbath morning preaching near the 
Swedes' church — extensive labors, and great popularity — 
prayer-meeting in Lombard-street — his dependence on the 
righteousness of Christ — resignation of the pastoral charge of 



8 CONTENTS. 

the first church, with the motives inducing this step — final 
address to them. 57 

CHAPTER IV. 

Constitution of the Sansom-street church — correspondence that 
led to his connexion with them — exercises of his mind — in- 
vitation to the pastorship, and acceptance — subsequent suc- 
cess — character as a pastor — character of his preaching — 
diligence in discharge of his duties. 78 

CHAPTER V. 

Character of his preaching continued. 96 

CHAPTER VI. 

His character as a public man — originator of the First Female 
Bible Society in the world — instruction of Theological stu- 
dents in Philadelphia — multiplicity of his labors in the be- 
nevolent institutions of the day — his hospitality — addresses to 
Theological students. 154 

CHAPTER VII. 

His missionary spirit — labors and usefulness as Corresponding 
Secretary of the General Convention — his sympathy with 
the missionaries of the cross — instructions to missionaries — 
confidence in God under difiiculties — poetry on the sailing 
of the first missionaries of the Convention — incident at the 
Philadelphia Association, in 1829 — a vision. 170 

CHAPTER VIII. 

His private character — his kindness, afiability and philanthropy 
— cheerfulness and simplicity in the social circle — his hos- 
pitality — friend of the widow and orphan — his pleasure in 
making others happy — several letters of condolence — an in- 
cident — confidence which his brethren exercised in him — 
letter from Joseph Butterworth, member of parliament — his 



CONTENTS. y 

independence and decision of character — his piety — constant 
effort to promote piety among the young, and to be useful to 
all — his cheerfulness. 192 

CHAPTER IX. 

An important change in the scene of his labors — proceedings 
of the General Convention in reference to it — chosen Presi- 
dent of the Columbian college — his qualifications for this 
station — death of Mrs. Staughton — letters of sympathy. 215 

CHAPTER X. 

His character as a parent — resignation of the pastoral office of 
the Sansom-street church. 233 

CHAPTER XI. 

Part of his address at the opening of the Columbian college — 
his behavior towards the young men — prosperity of the col- 
lege — its subsequent pecuniary distress, and his difficulties 
resulting from this state — resignation of the presidency and 
return to Philadelpliia. 258 

CHAPTER XII. 

His appointment to the Presidency of the Georgetown Literary 
and Theological Institution — its influence upon that place — 
his marriage — removal from Philadelphia, and decease, at the 
city of Washington — Letters of condolence. 280 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Conclusion. 303 



PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. 



By particular request, the Rev. Dr. Sharp, of this city, 
has supplied us with an interesting letter, addressed to the 
Editor, expressing his approbation of the work, and con- 
taining several pleasing reminiscences of the late Dr. 
Staughton. It was received too late to be incorporated 
in the body of the work ; and it is, therefore, with the 
consent of the Editor, placed at the commencement of the 
volume. 

We highly value his testimony to the desirableness 
and importance of the Memoir of his much esteemed tutor 
and friend ; and sincerely thank him for the striking facts 
which he relates. 

Boston, March 1, 1834. 



DR. SHARP'S LETTER TO THE EDITOR. 



Boston, December I9th, 1833. 
Dear Sir, 

I am extremely gratified to learn that you are preparing a 
Memoir of your excellent and honored father-in-law. It 
would have been discreditable to the denomination, of which 
he was an extensively useful and distinguished minister, had 
he been permitted to descend to the grave without a particu- 
lar record being given of his character and labors. 

Had my health allowed, it would have been a pleasure to 
me, to have complied with the wishes of his friends in per- 
forming the service which you have undertaken. I am 
glad, however, that the task has been assigned to one, who 
is both qualified an^ disposed to do justice to a man, who is 
entitled to " everlasting remembrance." 

The name of Dr. Staughton awakens in my bosom the 
most delightful recollections. He was one of the most 
amiable, talented, noble-hearted, and useful men, with whom 
I have ever been acquainted. I was first introduced to him 
in the spring of 1807. The circumstances which gave rise 
to that event, and his invariable kindness towards me subse- 
quently, were, I believe, in perfect accordance with the feel- 
ings which governed his whole life. 

Hearing, by a mutual friend, that I had been licensed to 
preach, but was desirous of increasing my little stock of 
literary and theological knowledge, before I devoted myself 
exclusively to the work of the ministry ; he addressed me 
in a most affectionate letter, in which he confirmed my 
views and purposes, invited me to his habitation, and gave 
assurance of his readiness to aid me in a course of study to 
the best of his ability. 

So soon aa I could arrange my concerns, I accepted his 
invitation, and in the evening of the twenty-first of March, 
in the year already named, I found myself in his hospitable 
dwelling. I had the honor of being his first theological 
student. Although his engagements were numerous, — for 
besides preaching three times on the Sabbath, and twice 



12 DR. sharp's letter 

during the week, he gave instruction in two of the most re- 
spectable female seminaries in Philadelphia, — yet I recited to 
him once or twice every day, except on the Sabbath. In 
addition to the regular course of study which was prescrib- 
ed, the almost unreserved intercourse which he permitted 
me to enjoy with him, was of no small advantage. His in- 
telligent remarks, the result of his own experience and ob- 
servation, concerning ministerial and pastoral dudes ; his 
amiable deportment in private life, and his able and eloquent 
discourses in public, — for he was then at the zenith of his 
ministerial career, — were not, I trust, wholly lost upon me. I 
am sure, while I possess the power of memory, these sea- 
sons of delightful and instructive intercourse, can never be 
forgotten. They are treasured recollections, which, even at 
this distance of time, cheer many a solitary hour. 

The interest which Dr. Staughton felt for his pupils, did 
not subside when they were removed from his immediate 
care. His letters followed them to their scenes of labor, 
fraught with expressions of friendship, and the counsels of 
experience and wisdom. He felt for them a paternal regard. 
If they were faithful, successful, and respected, they were 
his glory and his joy. He loved to speak of them as his 
sons in the ministry of reconciliation. 

In return, his pupils felt for him a filial veneration and 
love. The mention of bis name, has often operated as a 
spell in charming away the melancholy, which the coldness 
and selfishness of , others had produced, by calling up vivid- 
ly to remembrance, those sunlight seasons in which they 
held intercourse with one, whose dignity as a teacher, was 
so blended with the aff'ability and kindness of the man, as 
to inspire the most timid with confidence, and the most 
bold with respectful regard. 

Dr. Staughton possessed an uncommonly active and vig- 
orous mind. I now feel admiration and surprise, while I 
think of the amount of his intellectual labors. Although 
his sermons were not wholly written, yet they were by no 
means extemporaneous efiusions. They were the result of 
much and varied reading, and of deep and patient thought. 
In the earlier years of his ministry, such was his intense 
anxiety in preparing for the pulpit, that it frequently produc- 
ed a serious derangement of his health. During the period 



TO THE EDITOR. 13 

I was with him, 1 never heard him on the Sabbath, more 
than once or twice, when he had not notes of his discourse, 
more or less copious. These, however, he used so expertly, 
that persons who did not see them, had no suspicion of any 
paper being before him. 

But his intellectual efforts were not confined to his pre- 
parations for the pulpit. He composed and delivered lec- 
tures on Botany, Sacred and Profane History, to the young 
ladies at the two seminaries already mentioned. He was 
also constantly extending his knowledge in different branches 
of physical science ; and for two years at least, while I was 
with him, he was virtually, although not nominally the edi- 
tor of a monthly periodical, "published under the patronage 
of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the 
United States of America." A large, if not the largest por- 
tion of the original and selected matter in the work during 
that period, was contributed by him. From that publication, 
and the Latter Day Luminary, a very interesting volume, 
containing the productions of his pen, might be compiled. 
It would be a treasure of able essays, ingenious criticisms, 
striking anecdotes, and beautiful poetry. 

Dr. Staughton was a truly benevolent man. He was so, 
both from feeling, and from principle. I have accompanied 
him many a time to the habitations of the poor, and to the 
couches of the sick, and the dying ; and he never seemed 
more happy, than when he was ministering to their wants, 
and when, by the utterance of the tenderest feelings, in the 
tenderest language, he evidently soothed their sorrows. I 
need say nothing of his untiring, pow^erful and disinterested 
support of the rehgious charities of the age. Every one 
acquainted with their rise and progress, knows that he most 
readily gave his time, his talents, and his whole influence, in 
advancing their prosperity. 

Whatever might be his occasional errors in judgment, he 
always appeared to me to be actuated by high, moral, and 
religious considerations. In his most favorite plans, I be- 
lieve he had never his own aggrandizement in view. Some 
of them might have been impracticable, but they were not 
selfish. I have known him suffer wrong, in patient silence ; 
but although I knew him intimately, and long, I never knew 
him do a mean, unkind, or unjust action. 

2 



14 DR. sharp's letter 

Of his preaching, I have said nothing. You had the 
privilege of hearing him for a succession of years. I shall, 
therefore, leave it to you to describe the manner in which 
be illustrated and enforced the great truths of Christianity. 
This will be a difficult task. You may easily repeat what 
he said, but you will far surpass my expectation, if you suc- 
ceed in conveying to those who never heard him, a correct 
idea of his action, so suited to his word, or of his coun- 
tenance, so expressive of what was passing within, or of the 
intonations of his voice, which penetrated the chambers of 
the soul, and awakened in his hearers emotions of joy or 
grief, of terror or transport, at his bidding. 

There were occasions, however, when it seemed to me, 
that he had more action and voice, than his subject required. 
But when he appeared in the pulpit, prepared by suitable 
reflection, to discuss some great truth, as his imagination 
kindled, and his soul expanded with his theme, he would 
pour forth such strains of lofty and yet melting eloquence, 
as I never heard from any other man. Many a time, I have 
seen a crowded assembly, now held in breathless silence — 
now all in tears — and now scarcely able to remain on their 
seats, while listening to " the glorious gospel of the blessed 
God," delivered with such sublime and heart-thrilling pa- 
thos, that if angels were spectators, they must have been 
enraptured with the scene. 

He was not more happy in his manner, than in his selec- 
tion of subjects. He was an attentive observer of passing 
events^ Whether they affected nations, families, or individ- 
uals, if they were of a character to excite public attention, 
he felt that, 

" To give to them a tougue, was wise in man." 

His texts on these occasions were " like apples of gold in 
pictures of silver." Every one perceived their appropriate- 
ness. Attention was awakened, and the instruction thus 
imparted could not easily be erased from the mind. 

I will give you some instances of his peculiarly happy 
talent in this respect. When intelligence was received from 
Spain, of the downfall of the infamous Godoy, who was 
styled the " Prince of Peace," he delivered on the following 
Sabbath a most interesting discourse from the passage in 
Isaiah, " He shall be called — the Prince of Peace." I dis- 



TOTHEEDITOR. 15 

tinctly remember, that after alluding to the event, he de- 
scribed in brilliant contrast, the infinite superiority of the 
Lord Jesus, over all earthly princes, as to his personal dig- 
nity, the extent and duration of his authority, and the bless- 
ings of his reign. At another time, when a great encamp- 
ment in Europe had been surprised and routed, by one of 
the contending armies, he preached a sermon from the words, 
" The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that 
fear him, and delivereth them," which almost electrified his 
hearers. Placing them in imagination in sight of the camp, 
listening to the clash of arms, and the roar of cannon, and 
witnessing the carnage which ensued, he then directed their 
contemplations to the peaceful tents of the righteous, and to 
their certain and complete protection, afforded by the unlim- 
ited and encircling power of the Almighty. In the summer, 
Dr. Staughton preached in the open air, in Southwark, on 
Sabbath mornings,' at 5 o'clock. I heard him there, just as 
the orb of day was ascending above the horizon, announce 
for his text, " Unto you that fear my name, shall the Sun of 
Righteousness arise with healing in his wings." In that dis- 
course he drew a beautiful parallel between the glorious ef- 
fects of the sun on all animated nature, and those which are 
produced by Him, who is " The light of the world and the 
life of men." 

I might easily adduce many other instances of his felici- 
tous manner in seizing on the incidents of the times, and 
improving them so luminously and impressively, that the 
truths which he taught could scarcely ever be forgotten. 

On baptismal occasions, Dr. Staughton exceeded himself. 
The power of the Holy Spirit seemed to rest upon him in a 
signal manner. Never did I hear that precious ordinance, 
so ably explained and vindicated. There was no bitter in- 
vective in his remarks. He spake the truth, in relation to 
this rite, boldly, but in love. He beautifully exemplified the 
advice which he gave to one of his students ; " at the water 
side," said he, " ever be calm, affectionate, and firm — show 
the people that you respect them, and they will manifest re- 
spect for you." There was a calm dignity in his appeals, 
which commanded respect. He was affectionate in his ex- 
pressions concerning Christians of other denominations. But 
he was firm in asserting and maintaining the primitive mode 



16 DR. sharp's letter to the editor. 

of Christian baptism. He was indeed so peculiarly interest- 
ing in the administration of this rite, that persons of differ- 
ent persuasions, frequently went out of the city to witness 
its performance. I have seen thousands of solemn spectators 
on the banks of the Schuylkill, all evidently " wondering at 
the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth." 

But although he commanded general admiration and re- 
spect and was indeed a public man, yet no one could feel 
greater sympathy in the pains and pleasures of private life. 
The following letter to my daughter, who was pursuing her 
studies at the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb at Hartford, 
is a striking illustration of his affectionate interest for thos6 
who were the subjects of affliction. 

My dear child, JVew York, April 28, 1826. 

I have seen with great satisfaction some specimens of your hand- 
writing. I am surprised at the degree of improvement. Only go 
on to improve, and, with your neat hand, you will write a letter 
equal to any of us. 

I presume you remember me. If you do not, look at my picture 
in the parlor of your dear parents, and then take up your pen and 
write the words " That is a friend, that loves me." 

By the return of your father, if the Lord spare my life, I will 
write you a full sheet. I am rather much engaged this morning ; 
but I cannot help expressing my joy that you seem desirous of know- 
ing and loving the Lord Jesus. Pray to him — though you do not 
speak to him, he can hear the language of your heart, and make you 
has own dear child for ever and ever. He will take you when you 
die to his bosom, and you will sing his holy praises to all eternity. 

Give my affectionate regards to your beloved mother, and to your 
brother and sisters. The Lord bless you. 

I am, my dear Ann, yours very truly. 

Miss Ann Sharp. WILLIAM STAUGHTON. 

You will perceive, my brother, that, cherishing the sen- 
timents which I have so fully expressed for the memory 
of Dr. Staughton, I cannot but believe, that a volume, por- 
traying his character and labors, will be very acceptable to 
his friends, and very interesting and useful to readers gen- 
erally. 

I am, very affectionately, yours, &c. 

Rev. Samuel Lynd. DANIEL SHARP. 



MEMOIR. 



CHAPTER I. 

His ancestors — incidents of his youth — early developement of talent 
— education — conversion — prosecution of his studies at the Bristol 
Institution — his usefulness in neighboring churches — call to the 
pastorship of the Baptist church at Northampton, as the successor 
of Dr. Ryland — Juvenile Poems, written at the age of seventeen. 

The Jews esteemed it their glory, that they were de- 
scendants of Abraham, the father of the faithful, though in 
the steps of their father they walked not. The honors 
which royalty confers have been the means of inflating the 
minds of thousands, who had no claim to elevation in the 
scale of being, independently of such honors. But the 
subject of these pages merged all distinctions in this, that 
he was born, "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor 
of the will of man, but of God." This was the only dis- 
tinction which his ancestors, through several generations, 
coveted. 

His grand-parents were William and Anna Staughton. 
They were reckoned among the excellent of the earth, in 
3 



18 MEMOIR OP 

whom the Lord delighteth. Mrs. Anna Staughton, his 
grandmother, died in the year 1810, at the advanced age 
of ninety. At eighteen she professed faith in the Son of 
God. For more than seventy years she walked with God, 
distinguished for the peculiar fervency of her devotions, 
and the piety of her conversation. She fell asleep in Jesus, 
and was interred in the Baptist burial-ground at Long- 
Buckley, in the county of Northampton, England, by the 
side of her husband, who died triumphantly, in the year 
1780. 

His parents, Sutton and Kezia Staughton, were follow- 
ers of the ascended Saviour. To them were born seven 
children, two sons and five daughters, of whom William, 
the subject of this biography, was the eldest. He was born 
at Coventry, in Warwickshire, England, on the fourth day 
of January, 1770. His father and mother were exemplary 
members of the Baptist church in Coventry, under the pas- 
toral care of the Rev. John Butterworth, author of the Con- 
cordance, that bears his name. For upwards of thirty 
years, his father discharged, with fidelity and acceptance, 
the office of deacon, thus purchasing to himself a good de- 
gree and great boldness in the faith. At each deacon's 
house, in succession, a prayer meeting was held every 
Tuesday evening. He was always among the first to be 
present, and nothing but absolute necessity could induce 
him to be absent. His talents were of no ordinary char- 
acter, and though a man naturally modest and retiring, a 
sense of duty impelled him to exhort at the meetings. He 
afterwards removed from Coventry, and settled with a 
church in London, under the pastoral charge of the Rev. 
Dr. Rippon, His constant aim and fervent prayer were, 
that his children might fear God, and that all the virtues 
of social and religious life might grow with their growth 
and strengthen with their strength. 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 19 

Their former pastor, Mr. Butterworth, preached twice 
on the Lord's day. In the evening, Mr. Staughton col- 
lected his children aroAnd him, and explained to them por- 
tions of the inspired records. This he did with great 
simplicity and holy fervor, having chiefly in view the prac- 
tical influence of divine truth upon their hearts and lives. 
He encouraged them on these occasions to propose ques- 
tions to him, so that no secret objections unanswered 
might afford the tempter of souls a foundation for hi-s 
unholy devices. William, the subject of these pages, ex- 
hibited, at a very early period, that depravity which is 
found to possess every human breast; for, when his father 
invited inquiry, he would call up the most singular and 
difficult questions, with a view, as he has often confessed, 
of perplexing his beloved parent, and gratifying his own 
pride. 

His youth exhibited a delicately moulded and vigorous 
mind. At twelve years of age, he wrote, from Goldsmith's 
Animated Nature, poems, which, at the request of his 
friends, were published, and considered, by all who saw 
them, promising indications of future talents and useful- 
ness. It was the opinion of many, who were competent 
judges, and had seen some of his hasty poetic compositions 
in subsequent life, that if he had directed his attention to 
the cultivation of Poetry, he would have stood as distin- 
guished in that department as he did in Theology and 
Pulpit Eloquence. 

At the age of fourteen, he was placed in the family of 
Mr. Claybrooke, a pious man, in Birmingham, to be in- 
structed in the business of a silversmith. This adds another 
to the list of celebrated men who have adorned and elevated 
society, but whose origin was derived from the humble 
walks of life. 

At Coventry, the place of his birth, he received a plain 



20 MEMOIROP 

English education, but with this he was by no means satis- 
fied. He panted for knowledge, as the hunted hart for the 
cooling stream. He was possessed of a memory, which, by 
its peculiar tenacity, enabled him to store up for future use 
every fact with which he became acquainted, every scene 
he witnessed. In his studies he was exceedingly diligent, 
not discouraged by difficulties, nor turned aside by oppo- 
sition. For some time after his engagement with Mr. 
Claybrooke, his heart was fixed on vanity. He composed, 
in his leisure moments, a great number of light pieces, and 
in these appeared to take great pleasure. But when, sub- 
sequently, he became the subject of deep conviction for 
sin, they caused him so much affliction of spirit, that he 
devoted them all to the flames. 

His parents designed him for mechanical employment ; 
but the Lord intended that he should be engaged in ser- 
vices of a different character. While living with Mr. 
Claybrooke, he was awakened to a sense of his ruined 
condition, by hearing a discourse delivered from the words, 
" Prepare to meet thy God." For eight or nine months, 
he was so distressed by a view of his guilt, so appalled by 
the curse of God's righteous law, that his hours of rest 
were turned into hours of anguish, and his constitution 
yielding to the intensity of his mental conflict, it was feared 
that his existence would speedily terminate. The best 
medical advice was procured, and many fruitless efforts 
made to revive his sinking frame. They at length pro- 
nounced it religious frenzy, and endeavored, by various 
means, to rouse his feelings, and divert the current of his 
thoughts. One of his physicians recommended to him the 
perusal of novels and romances. This counsel struck his 
mind with so much horror, he desired that physician might 
never again be permitted to visit him. One day, as he lay 
upon his bed, in the greatest agony, fearing to close his 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 21 

eyes to sleep, lest he should awake in torment, that cheer- 
ing passage was presented to his mind : "Come now, and 
let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow ; though they 
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." To use his 
own expressions, " It was as though heaven had been 
opened upon my vision." Then he could adopt the strain, 
" I have found him whom my soul loveth." Then he re- 
joiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. His health 
being still feeble, it was deemed advisable that he should 
visit his grandmother, Mrs. Anna Staughton, residing at 
Long-Buckley, in Northamptonshire. While here, his 
health gradually improved, his faith increased in vigor, and 
encouraged by the Rev. J. Cole, he gave public testimony 
of his zeal in the cause of Christ, and his desire for the 
salvation of sinners. When his health was confirmed, he 
returned to Birmingham, and was joyfully received by 
baptism into the Cannon-street church, under the pastor- 
ship of the Rev. Samuel Pearce. 

About this time, being seventeen years of age, he wrote 
a book, entitled "Juvenile Poems," which, contrary to his 
own wish, at the request of his father and many friends, 
was published. His talents now began to develope rapidly, 
and with a view to prepare him for greater usefulness, by 
a suitable education, he was sent to the Institution at 
Bristol, where he prosecuted the studies assigned him with 
ardor and success. He there came out vigorously in the 
service of his Lord, supplying many of the neighboring 
churches on the Sabbath day, and occasionally preaching 
through the week. His labors proved highly acceptable, 
and commanded large assemblies, even at this early period. 
He received several invitations from churches to settle 
among them, particularly from the church at Northampton. 
Dr. Ryland having resigned his pastoral office for the 
3* 



23 MEMOIROP 

presidency of the Bristol Institution, Mr. Staughton was 
called to succeed him. All these invitations he declined, 
being strongly impressed with the duty of extending his 
labors on this side of the Atlantic. 

The letter of invitation from the church at Northampton 
shows the high estimation in which his character and tal- 
ents were held. He was then just entering his twenty- 
third year. 

" Rev. and dear Sir, 

" The term for which we invited you, last autumn, to 
labor among us in word and doctrine, being nearly elapsed, 
we unite in soliciting you to continue your labors among 
us three months longer, in supplying the vacancy we are 
likely soon to experience, by the removal of our beloved 
pastor from us. And we hope, dear Sir, you will comply 
with our request, with the prospect of receiving a call to 
take the pastoral care over us, as a church, after our present 
pastor is removed from us to a sphere of more enlarged 
usefulness. 

*' We take this opportunity of unitedly expressing our 
thankfulness for your past labors among us, and are the 
more solicitous to have them continued, with the hope of 
enjoying them in a more fixed and stated manner, as we 
know of no person so proper to succeed our present pastor ; 
none in whom we can so unexceptionably unite, and whose 
ministry is so universally acceptable to the congregation, 
also, with whom we worship. 

" You are no stranger, dear Sir, to the singular and dif- 
ficult situation in which we now stand. We have con- 
sented to part with our present minister and pastor, with 
whose labors and conduct we were perfectly satisfied, at 
the earnest solicitations of a sister church connected with 
the seminary, from whence we sought your assistance, with 



D R. S T^ U G H T O N. 23 

the prospect and hope of his being more extensively useful 
in the cause of our Redeemer, and particularly in that de- 
partment of the Christian church in which we mostly rank. 
But while we act this disinterested part, it is with the just 
proviso and reserve, that we have first a suitable successor, 
at least in prospect. This is the ground of our first and 
renewed application to yourself: and as we cannot find a 
single dissenting voice, either in the church or congrega- 
tion, we hope, dear Sir, you will make no difficulty to com- 
ply with our request. 
March 24, 1793." 

We return to the Juvenile Poems. One of these seems 
to have been written in allusion to his own religious exer- 
cises. It is founded on the passage of Scripture from 
which he received encouragement to put his trust in 
Christ. . 

PARDONING LOVE. 

ISAIAH I : 18. 

Involved in guilt, and near despair, 

Depressed with shame, o'erwhelmed with tears; 

To God I raised my humble prayer. 
He scattered all my groundless fears. 

He spake : — (for I, abandoned wretch. 

Lay so estranged to power divine, 
Omnipotence alone could reach] 

This heart, or these deaf ears of mine — ) 

" Come, sinner, exercise thy thoughts; 

Although thy crimes, of deepest dye. 
Enormous follies, boundless faults. 

May with the worst of rebels vie : 

Grace shall abound much more than sin, 
Thou shalt my pardoning mercy know, 



24 MEMOIROP 

Thy scarlet shall be white and clean, 
Thy crimson guilt as wool or snow. 

For thee, on Calvary, I died, 

And bought thee pardon with my blood ; 

Look to a Saviour crucified, 

And live, and know that I am God. 

My strength shall equalize thy day, , 

My love shall sweeten every toil : 
Follow thy Jesus — watch and pray, 

Live to my praise — wait heaven awhile." 

Ah, my dear Lord, and can it be ! 

Hast thou the wondrous ransom paid ? 
Can love like this extend to me ? 

O, 'tis an act of grace indeed I 

Thou bleeding love ! thou dying Lamb I 

Prostrate beneath thy feet I fall ; 
R.eceive, receive me as I am : 

I'm less than nothing — thou art ALL. 

We close this chapter with two more specimens of the 
*' Juvenile Poems," exhibiting a poetic taste of considera- 
ble merit : 

A PASTORAL. 

SONG 1 : 7, 8. 

" Thou object of my love ! 

Tell a poor wanderer where, 
Amid the verdant pastures, move 

Thy fleecy care : 
Say, do they pass along. 

Or lay them down in ease, 
Where gentle zephyrs play among 

The nodding trees ? 

Tell me, my Lord, the Lamb, 
Ah ! tell me where they feed ! 



DR. STAUGHTON. 25 

Is it beside the curling stream, 

Or fertile mead ? 
For why, why should I rove, 

My thoughtless footsteps roam, 
As one who seeks another love. 

Another home ? 

Ye intervening hills. 

Sink down ! remove, ye rocks ! 
That soon my laboring chariot wheels 

May find his flocks : 
Ye neighboring shepherds, say, 

And mitigate my pain, 
Does my beloved pass this way, 

Or drive his train ? 

Chirping through all the grove, 

I hear the songsters' lays ; 
But still I mourn an absent love 

In all my ways." 
Then fall the fluent tears. 

And sorrow sinks her head ; 
When on a sudden he appears, 

And thus he said : — 

" My dove, my fairest one ! 

My sister, and my spouse ! 
Nor can thy lover leave his own. 

Or break his vows. 
Thee, my eternal choice, 

I heard thee tell thy grief j 
Now let the broken heart rejoice, 

I've brought relief. 

Beneath yon craggy rock. 

On the ambrosial green, 
Go, by the footsteps of the flock, 

And bless the scene." 
He healed her wounded soul. 

He kissed away her tears j 
Ineffably his smiles control 

Her futile fears. 



tj26 MEMOIR OF 

i 

I LOVE TO JESUS. 

I " Unto you that believe He is precious J' 

I love my precious Jesus' name, 

How sweet and charming is the sound ! 

I can but love thee, thou dear Lamb, 
O, what a Jesus I have found ! 

'Twas Jesus set my conscience free 
From guilt, that painful, pond'rous load ! 

Now he reveals himself to me, 
And calls a worm a child of God. 

'Tis he sustains me day by day : 

He hath his gracious promise passed, 

To bear me o'er life's changing sea, 
And land me safe in heaven at last. 

And can I too much love his name .'* 

Impossible ! it cannot be : 
Rather, dear Lord, I blush with shame, 

I feel so little love to thee. 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 27 



CHAPTER II. 

Circumstances which led to his settlement in this country — the 
high sense which his brethren in England entertained of his 
character — arrival in Charleston, S. C. and marriage — preacliing 
in Georgetown, S. C. — removal to New- York, and his afflictions 
there — removal to Bordentown, N. J. — his ordination — circular 
on infidelity — removal to Burlington, N. J. — received degree of 
D. D. — visit to the West in 1804 — death of liis eldest child. 

The circumstances which led to his settlement in this 
country, where his name will long be cherished with grate- 
ful remembrance, exhibit the high estimation in which he 
was held by his ministering brethren in England. The 
Rev. Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Furman, of Charleston, wrote 
for a young man of promise and character, to supply the 
church in Georgetown, S. C. The letter was read at a 
meeting of ministers, and all, with one voice, exclaimed, 
"Staughton is the man." 

The following testimonials, which accompanied him to 
the land of his adoption, indicate the high moral and intel- 
lectual standing of our deceased friend and brother. 

Extracts from Letters, 

I. 

From the Rev. Dr. Rippon, London, to the Rev. Mr. 
(afterwards Dr.) Furman, of South-Carolina. 

"London, July ISth, 1793. 
5« Rev. and dear Sir, 

" Your inquiry, concerning a Baptist minister for George- 
town, arrived at a time when one of our junior ministers 
is disposed to cross the Atlantic, and you have, in my 
opinion, described him in every respect, except his name. 



28 MEMOIR OP 

Our excellent brother, Dr. Ryland, my most intimate 
friejid, from whom I received a letter weekly, for about six 
years together, was in town, about nine days since, and 
slept, as usual, at my house. He has written you concern- 
ing tiie gentleman to whom I refer, Mr. William Staugh- 
ton, Vho, probably, will hand this hasty line to you. 

*' Give me leave to observe, that you must not expect 
Mr. S. to be a fair sample of our English brethren in the 
ministry. You may be certain that he is above par, and 
I have no doubt that he will answer to the character he 
has hitherto borne, of an unblameable marij and an ac- 
ceptable, evangelical, and popular minister of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. I believe Providence has designed some 
great and good things for him." 

II. 

From the Rev. Mr. (subsequently Dr.) Hinton, of Ox- 
ford, to the same. 

" Oxford, July 10^/t, 1793. 
" Rev. Sir, 

"Though I have not the happiness of a personal ac- 
quaintance with you, I have learned so much of your 
character, as induces me to address you with freedom, in 
behalf of the Rev. William Staughton, the bearer of this, 
and a Baptist minister, of evangelical sentiments. As you 
may, possibly, wish to know something of your correspond- 
ent, as well as your visitor, I refer you, for information re- 
specting the former, to the Rev. Edmund Botsford, with 
whom I have corresponded some years, and in which cor- 
respondence, I believe I have to thank you. Sir, for fre- 
quent assistance. You will learn, from conversation with 
Mr. Staughton, the reasons which have induced him to 
cross the Atlantic, and I need say little, except that he is 
a young man of strict integrity, ardent piety, and of minis- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 29 

terial abilities, highly acceptable in England. I have au- 
thority to use the name of the Rev. T. Dunscombe, Rev. 
Buttervvorth, of Broomsgrove, and Pendered, of Whitney ; 
and, if Staughton could have staid a few days for this, I 
could have added a long list of ministers and churches, to 
whom Mr. Staughton's labors have been highly pleasing, 
even to the last Sabbath of his stay in England, to whom, 
also, his design in coming to America is fully known, and 
his character fully approved." 

In the year 1793, Mr. Inglesby, of Charleston, S. C. 
visited England, and, on the eve of his return to America, 
the same year, he called on Dr. Rippon, who said to him, 
" I am sorry I did not see you a few days ago, that I might 
have introduced to you a young man, named Staughton, 
who has embarked for your city. He is one of the most 
excellent and talented young men that has ever left our 
Bristol academy. We endeavored to detain him here, but 
without success." 

His mind had been directed to this country, as his fu- 
ture home, before the letter of Mr. Furman reached Eng- 
land. Through life he maintained a regular and friendly 
correspondence with the most distinguished Baptist minis- 
ters of his native land. Among these were the Rev. Drs. 
Ryland and Rippon, the Rev. James Butterworth, the Rev. 
Benjamin Francis, of Horsley, the Rev. Mr, Hughes, of 
Battersea, the Rev. Samuel Pearce, of Birmingham, and 
the Rev. J. Hinton, of Oxford. The following extracts 
from letters may be considered a specimen of the interest 
he enjoyed in their affection and confidence : 

From the Rev. James Butterworth, dated 

*' Coventry, April SOth, 1794. 
'' Mr. and Mrs. Staughton, 

" Dear Friends. — Your friendly epistle came to hand 



30 MEMOIROF 

and it gave me no small pleasure to hear that you all got 
safe to America, that you are all in good health, and have 
so fine a prospect. May the God of all comfort be with 
you, and bless you, in the most full and complete sense of 
the word. * *- * # * # 

" Brother and sister (Rev. John Butterworth and wife) 
with friends here, join me in love to you both, wishing you 
every blessing. My love to Maria." 

From the Rev. Benjamin Francis, of Horsley, author of 
the Conflagration, many hymns, &c. 

''Ha! is Lazarus alive again? O yes! for I have re- 
ceived a very affectionate and affecting letter from him, 
dated May 16, 1796, which was some months after it was 
reported here that he had slept with his fathers. I also 
heard that your coffin was made, although you were not 
laid in it. Blessed be the living God, that he hath snatch- 
ed you from the arms of death, restored you to health and 
usefulness, and fixed you in so agreeable and im.portant a 
situation, 

" I cannot fully express the pleasing sensations which 
your charming letter excited in my breast ; sensations of 
surprise, of friendship, of thankfulness, and joy. I did 
not think that you thought of me, at least with so much 
love and respect, so that your letter gave me the greater 
surprise. I rejoice in your vv^elfare. How hath the Lord 
led you, preserved you, supported you, and placed you in 
a situation where you may be very happy, greatly respect- 
ed, and rendered very useful to vast numbers, both as a 
tutor and a minister. May your life be long, your health 
constant, your heart on fire of love to Christ and immortal 
souls, and your various labors crowned with abundant suc- 
cess. We preach the same Saviour for whom the apostles 
labored, and martyrs bled. O for the same self-denying 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 31 

spirit, the same disinterested views, and the same ardent 
zeal, which they possessed ! O that we could think, 
speak, and act ; read, study, pray, and preach, with God 
and eternity full in view. 

"Mrs. Francis and both my daughters join in kind re- 
gards to self, and Mrs. Staughton, though unknown, with, 

" Dear Sir, 

" Your affectionate friend and brother, 

B. FRANCIS." 
Mai/ 13, 1797." 

From the Rev. Mr. Hughes, of Battersea (originator of 
the British and Foreign Bible Society,) the classic tutor 
under whom Mr. Staughton pursued his studies. 

''Battersea, 3Iarch 31, ISOL 

" My dear Friend, 

" Your kind letter, dated April 21st, 1800, reached me 
about a month ago. As it is only the second I have re- 
ceived since your residence in America, I am not sunk 
very deep in epistolary debt ; hut I am not one of those 
correspondents who mark their exact turn. Were the con- 
veyance more certain and expeditious, I should esteem it a 
pleasure to write often ; and, even as it is, I recommend to 
you, what I propose aiming at myself, that is, immediate 
improvement. Were we situated within a few miles of 
each other, personal intercourse would, probably, form a 
material addition to our catalogue of agreeables. Let us, 
at least, provide, in our actual situations, what will best an- 
swer as a substitute. Never let another year pass away, 
in which Staughton shall say of Hughes, or Hughes of 
Staughton, " This year he has written nothing for me." 

" The engagements which occupy you, are of a pleasing 
and important nature. Y^ou are intrusted with the human 



32 



MEMOIR OF 



mind, in all its stages : in infancy, as a parent ; in youth, 
as a preceptor ; in manhood, as an evangelist. Maria di- 
vides with you your anxieties and your joys. 

" Mrs. Hughes joins in remembrance to self and Mrs. 
Staughton. 

" I dismiss these sheets with all the sentiments which I 
ever felt towards you, and subscribe myself, 
" Your truly affectionate 

" Friend and brother, 

J. HUPHES." 

But we return to the order of the narrative. The sub- 
ject of this memoir arrived in Charleston, S. C. in the au- 
tumn of 1793, and was there, by the Rev. Dr. Furman, 
united in marriage to Maria Hanson, by whom he had four 
children, two sons, and two daughters, the eldest of which, 
named after the Rev. Mr. Hinton, of England, died at the 
age of about twenty-one months. The others are still liv- 
ing. His eldest daughter, Leonora Maria, was married, in 
the year 1823, to the v/riter of this Memoir. The young- 
est daughter, Elizabeth- Ann, about a year subsequently, 
became the wife of Dr. John T. Temple, of Virginia ; and 
his son, James M. Staughton, M. D. formerly Professor of 
Surgery in the medical department of the Columbian col- 
lege, D. C. is now residing in the city of Cincinnati, and 
holding the Professorship of Surgery in the Medical col- 
lege of Ohio, a flourishing institution.* 

" The passage of Mr. Staughton to Charleston was ex- 
ceedingly tedious. Mr. Inglesby, whose name has before 
been introduced, left England a fortnight later, and arrived 
before him. This delay, though apparently unfavorable, 
proved to be quite providential. This gentleman mention- 

* Since deceased. 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 33 

ed to his friends in Charleston, that Mr. Staughton had 
started two weeks before him, and that he felt great anxiety 
concerning him. This circumstance created an immediate 
interest in his favor. The anxiety was transferred to oth- 
ers, and when he arrived, he found himself at once in the 
midst of friends. 

Shortly after his arrival in South-Carolina, he received 
an invitation to supply the Baptist brethren in Georgetown. 
He removed thither, and continued preaching among them 
about seventeen months. We introduce here a letter writ- 
ten to his friend Mr. Inglesby, immediately after his arrival 
at Georgetow'n. 

'' Georgetoion, Jan. 26t7i, 1794. 

"With many an anxious, distressing, portentous thought, 
while the increasincr rains were descendino^, and the shades 
of night advancing, w'e left the society of affectionate 
friends, to embrace the extended waters, in the miserable 
vehicle, a wet canoe, and with the additional occasion of 
sorrow, a wounded, weeping partner. 

" We retain a grateful remembrance of the kindness of 
those friends, among whom we feel happy in naming Mr. 

I , who, like the amiable Hindoos on the banks of the 

Ganges, were solicitous to manifest their steady regards, 
until increasing distance concealed us from view. 

" I am sensible you will feel happy in receiving the in- 
formation, that, on our arrival on the other side of the ferry, 
after w^e had a good fire made, and partook of a welcome 
cup of coffee, the distress subsided, and the countenances 
so lately covered with gloom, assumed their native cheer- 
fulness. 

** The hurt my dear Maria received v/as considerable. 
Heaven be praised, a limb was not broken. Through 

mercy, it is now nearly well. The inclemency of the 

4* 



34 SlEMOIROP 

weather prevented our pursuing the journey till Friday 
afternoon, when we rode about sixteen miles, and arrived 
at Georgetown late on Saturday evening. Our reception 
was equal to our expectations, and the conduct of the 
friends, since our arrival, evinces fully their solicitude to 
contribute to our happiness. 

'' The greater part of last week, I have devoted to the 
interesting work of writing to those dear relations, and 
acquaintances, who still inhabit our native country. We 
seem to realize more fully the blessings resulting from a 
discovery of the science of writing, than when a few miles 
only intervened between us and those, who merit the high 
appellations of pious and affectionate parents, faithful and 
amiable friends. 

*' While I feel happy in the blessings that rise from the 
friendly circle, I trust it is ours to derive our highest de- 
light from a nobler source. May we largely enjoy com- 
munion with the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
From heaven, every stream of earthly consolation descends. 
We often gaze delighted on the currents of creature de- 
lights, pleased with beholding our image there, but these, 
alas ! like the stream of brooks, " pass away." Perhaps 
no streams are more suddenly or unexpectedly dried up, or 
subject to greater and more frequent variations in their 
course. Christ Jesus only can furnish us with living 
waters. Enjoyments flow by the path of duty. The 
waters in the desert pursued the course of the cloudy pillar. 

*' Really, my dear friend, I have, somehow or other, or 
ever I was aware, entered so far on a watery theme, that I 
can scarcely forbear pointing to those waters, respecting 
which Jesus has said, '* Thus it becometh us." But I for- 
bear, knowing you admire that amiable disposition which 
induced David to say, " I made haste, and delayed not to 
keep thy commandments." 



DR. STAUGHTON. 35 

" Through the good hand of the Lord upon us, I and my 
dear family are well. I had, a day or two past, a slight 
cold, but it is now removed. 

" Mrs. Staughton unites with me in compliments to the 
whole of your good family, and begs Mrs. I.'s acceptance 
of a copy of Watts. 

" Dear Sir, 

" Yours, sincerely and affectionately, 

W. STAUGHTON." 

During the period of his residence in Georgetown, a 
church was constituted there, over which he accepted the 
pastoral charge. The climate, however, did not agree 
with his constitution, and to the habits of holding Afri- 
cans in a state of slavery, the sentiments of his heart were 
not reconciled. He concluded to remove to the Northern 
States, where he believed his own comfort, and that of his 
family would be greatly promoted. To say that he was 
popular in Georgetown, is true, but he was more than pop- 
ular. All classes an4 professions in the community con- 
tributed to his support, and among these were some Jews. 
When he signified his intention to remove, the deacon of 
the church came to him, and said, " Mr. Staughton, why 
do you wish to leave us ? Is your salary insufficient ? We 
will double it, only stay with us." Their liberal contribu- 
tions for his comfort, received from the church and the in- 
habitants, were recollected through life, by him, with the 
most sincere and lively gratitude. The last sermon he 
preached in this place, was founded on the passage, " Be 
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of 
life." 

The Rev. Mr. Botsford was soon after called to the 
pastorship of the church. From him, and also from the 
Rev. Dr. Furman, he received the most honorable testi- 
moaials. 



36 MEMOIROF 

Letter written by the Rev. Mr. Botsford : 

" If the bearer, my much esteemed friend, the Rev. 
William Staughton, should providentially meet with any 
of the brethren in the ministry, or others to whom I am 
known, I wish to inform them that I received from my very 
respectable friend. Rev. James Hinton, of Oxford, Old Eng- 
land, a very honorable recommendation of him, as a pious 
christian, and a gentleman of abilities in the ministry. I 
am happy to declare, and which I think my duty, from a 
personal acquaintance with him, that I think him highly 
deserving the excellent character given him. I doubt not 
those who may be favored with his acquaintance, will think 
themselves thereby obliged. 

" Any favor shown to my friend will be esteemed as 
done to myself 

*' By their most obedient, humble servant, in the gospel, 

EDMUND BOTSFORD. 

R a Bethel, Pedee, April 27, 1795." 

From the Rev. Mr. Furman, of Charleston, S. C. 

" These are to certify, that the bearer hereof. Rev. Wil- 
liam Staughton, is a licensed gospel minister of the Baptist 
church, sent out to the important v/ork of the ministry by 
the Baptist church in Birmingham, in Great Britain. He 
was a student of the Bristol academy, where he studied 
languages, philosophy, and the belles lettres, and came to 
America with ample recommendations from persons of the 
first respectability in the Baptist connection. Dr. Rippon, 
of London, Mr. Pearce, of Birmingham, Mr. Hinton, of 
Oxford, and Mr. Dunscombe, of Coate, have particularly 
interested themselves in his behalf, in letters to the sub- 
scriber ; in which they recommend him as their much 
esteemed and amiable friend. During more than eighteen 



DR. STAUGHTON. 37 

months' stay in South Carolina, principally at Georgetown, 
Mr. Staughton's conduct has justified the recommendations 
given him by his European friends, and procured him the 
love and respect of his acquaintances in general, who esteem 
him as a man of piety, and a gospel minister of eminent 
abilities. 

" Mrs. Staughton is also of the Baptist church. She has 
employed a considerable part of her time in keeping a 
boarding school for young ladies, for which she is consid- 
ered as eminently qualified, and has taught with reputation 
in this country as well as in Europe. 

''They are now about removing from Carolina to the 
Northern States, in expectation that the climate and mode 
of living there will be more agreeable to them than in the 
Southern. 

" The subscriber, therefore, takes the liberty to recom- 
mend them to the attention of his friends and correspond- 
ents, where providence may cast their lot, as persons wor- 
thy of the foregoing character, and for whose welfare he 
feels particularly concerned. 

" Given under my hand in Charleston, this 19th day of 
June, 1795. 

RICHARD FURMAN." 

At the close of June, 1795, he removed with his family 
to New York. The following letter describes their arrival 
and reception : 

"July lOtJi, 1795, New-York. 

" My dear friend, 

" After our painful adieu on the wharves of Charleston, 
the God of the seas indulged us with pleasant winds, and 
in seven days presented to our view the shores of New- 
York. Some inconvenience was sustained on the passage 



38 MEMOIROF 

from the great number of the passengers, but in general 
their behavior was agreeable, especially on the Sabbath 
day, when we had divine service on the deck. We saw 
several sail in the course of the voyage, but were so suc- 
cessful as not to meet with any of the privateers. 

" We came up to the wharf in this city, about five o'clock 
in the evening. I visited Dr. Foster, presented my testi- 
monials, and was invited to come, together with my dear 

M and Amelia, to sleep the same evening at his house. 

We did so, and the two following evenings ; when having 
obtained a small pleasant situation at the north-east end of 
the town, we removed, and have continued here ever since, 
waiting till providence opens some more eligible and lasting 
residence. 

" Not only did we enjoy health on our passage, but a 
merciful measure is still continued to us. The climate is 
pleasant, and the city very strongly resembles an English 
seaport. Many of our friends have come hither, whose 
presence we little expected again to have seen ; among 
these are some members of the same society in Birming- 
ham. Besides the church over which Dr. Foster presides, 
and another under the pastoral care of Mr. Stanford, there 
is a small society rising under the ministry of Mr. Dunn, 
who has left Newport, and is come, at the request of sev- 
eral friends, to settle in New- York. 

" Whether we shall continue in this city, remove to 
Hartford, in Connecticut, or take some other direction, we 
cannot say. Letters are forwarded to H. and perhaps by 
the time this arrives in Charleston, we shall have come to 
some decision. You shall hear as soon as providence shall 
have made darkness light before us. 

" I wish I knew how to express the sense my dear Maria 
and myself feel of the kindness and generosity we realized 
in Mr. and Mrs. I , during our residence with you. 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 39 

You seem resolved to lay us under a debt of obligation, we 
are unable to discharge. While wc return our f^incere 
thanks, we cannot forget that promise which ensures a 
recompense in the day of the just. May the bounties of 
providence, the treasures of grace, and the kingdom of 
heaven be yours. 

*' Our affectionate remembrances await you both, and 
each of the young ladies. We will continue to pray, amid 
the changes of time, that the God of Jacob may be your 
everlasting supporter. We hope next year to see you again, 
and wait on you at our own habitation. Meantime, do let 
us hear from you often. 

" Yours affectionately and sincerely, 

W. STAUGHTON." 

He had not been many weeks in New- York, when the 
yellow fever made its appearance. He was subjected to a 
severe attack, from which it was supposed he would not 
recover. Information was received by his friends in Eng- 
land, that he was dead. His family, in deep distress at the 
afflictive tidings, were preparing to go into mourning, when 
they received a letter from himself announcing his recovery. 
His father, in the joy of his heart, called his family together, 
and they all kneeled down and returned thanks to the Lord 
for his preserving mercies. During the remainder of the 
autumn, and part of the winter, he experienced a series of 
most severe bodily afflictions, which are described in the 
letter that follows : 

''Brooldyn, Dec, 23, 1795. 
" My dear friend, 

" Since the severe visitation I suffered in New- York, I 
have had an affliction, I had almost said, infinitely more 
painful. Having taken a cold as I was recovering from 
my fever, a dreadful rheumatic and spasmodic affection 



40 MEMOIROP 

followed, in my loins, which reduced me almost to the 
grave. By means of excessive bleeding, and the introduc- 
ing of a seton into the afflicted part, I am now, in a great 
measure, restored. I can walk about the house, and hope 

shortly to be able to venture into the open air. Mrs. S 

has had a very trying time. With incessant watching and 
toil, her strength failed her, so that a fit of sickness was 
apprehended, but the Lord restored her, lest I should have 
sorrow upon sorrow. Assist, my dear friend, to praise the 
Lord for his restoring mercy, and aid me in your prayers 
that dispensations so severe, may not fail of producing an 
end as important as the trial has been acute. 

" Excuse brevity. With sincere wishes for your tem- 
poral and eternal prosperity, I continue, my dear friend, 
"Your unworthy brother in Christ, 

W. STAUGHTON." 

In the course of the winter, he received an invitation 
from the Rev. Dr. Allison, to succeed him in the charge 
of his academy in Bordentown, N. J. The prospect of 
great usefulness offering in this new situation, he removed 
thither the ensuing spring. His views and feelings respect- 
ing this opening in providence, are expressed in the letter 
subjoined : 

''New-Yoric, March 23, 1796. 
" My dear friend, 

" I have just returned from the country, and am now at 
Messrs. Goodeve and Brown's on my way home. On my 
arrival last night, I was presented with your welcome favor 

of the 29th ult. My dear M and myself, unitedly rejoice 

in the peace and happiness which, you intimate, dwells 
with you. May it increase and abound. 

'' Your generous and sympathetic sorrow at the appre- 
hension that my circumstances were "rather gloomy," re- 



D R. S T A U G 11 T O N. 41 

ceives my most sincere thanks. Gloom, darkening gloom, 
has indeed long been spreading around us. It has been a 
night of affliction and weeping, but, blessed be God, weep- 
ing endures only a night. Joy cometh in the morning. I 
hope the night is past. My dear friend will receive an 
increase of pleasure on hearing that I am entering on a 
station equally profitable, respectable, and pleasant. 

" At Bordentown, a remarkably healthful spot, on the 
banks of the Delaware, about thirty miles from Philadel- 
phia, and about fifty-five miles from New- York, a great 
seminary has been established, these eighteen years. Rev. 
B. Allison, A. M., has had the honor of founding and 
conducting it to its present maturity. This gentleman, 
whom I have found alike amiable, generous, and intelligent, 
having rendered himself independent, and wishing to trans- 
fer the presidency of the academy to a person willing and 
qualified to conduct it on his extensive plan, suggested his 
intention to Dr. Rogers, of Philadelphia. The Doctor re- 
ferred him to me — a correspondence has been opened be- 
tween us, and I have been at Bordentown to view the 
situation, &&c. 

" On terms remarkably easy, I have taken the buildings 
which he had erected for the purpose, and which are very 
elegant and commodious. I expect to remove thither at 
the close of next month. 

" The information my friend has received respecting 
my late circumstances is a little erroneous. Long, bodily, 
personal affliction, threw the gloom around me, but I have 
always found abundant room for exercising in the ministry/. 
By the second church, where there is a new place of wor- 
ship, in a good part of the town, and an increasing congre- 
gation, I have been invited to stay for twelve months on 
probation. Some circumstances rendered my refusal very 
difficult ; but as there are two good congregations near Bor- 
5 



42 MEMOIROF 

dentown, at which Mr. Allison and I shall preach alter- 
nately, and as the emoluments of the latter place are so 
much better suited to the state of myself and my dear fam- 
ily, I thought it duty to prefer the latter. 

"Sincerely praying for your permanent happiness while 
passing, what Bunyan terms " the wilderness of this world," 
and for your admission, into what the same author calls, 
"the celestial city," I continue, my dear friend, 

" Your unworthy brother in a precious Jesus, 

W. STAUGHTON." 

But the establishment in Bordentown did not justify his 
expectations, and from a variety of causes which he could 
not have foreseen, he became considerably embarrassed in 
relation to the support of his family. Yet his confidence 
in God was unwavering, — which he strongly expressed 
in consolatory lines, written in a familiar epistle to his 
companion in life ; and while they evinced his entire re- 
liance upon a divine arm, they discovered the retidiness 
with which he could communicate his thoughts in po- 
etic measure. He was at this time in the city of Phila- 
delphia, whither he had gone to collect funds arising 
out of his labors, and had met with considerable disap- 
pointment. 

At Jacobstown, in New-Jersey, a considerable Baptist 
church was in existence, some of the members of which 
resided in Bordentown, and were considered a branch of 
the Jacobstown church. They had an edifice, which was 
repaired while the subject of this memoir was living there, 
principally through his own exertions, and in a considera- 
ble measure at his own expense. Here he frequently 
preached, as well as to the church at Jacobstown, in which 
he held his membership. At the special request of this 
church, he was ordained at Bordentown, according to the 



DR. STAUGHTON. 43 

custom of the Baptist churches in this country. This oc- 
curred on the 17th day of June, 1797. The services of 
the day commenced with singing ; after which the Rev. 
Dr. Rogers, of Philadelphia, prayed ; another hymn fol- 
lowed, and Dr. Rogers delivered a discourse from the 
words, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel 
to every creature." At the close of the sermon, another 
hymn was sung, and the ordination proceeded. The Rev. 
Peter Wilson, of Hightstown, N. J., offered the ordination 
prayer. The Rev. Dr. Jones, of Lower Dublin, Pennsyl- 
vania, proposed to Mr. Staughton those questions relative 
to his faith and experience, and produced those testimonials 
of the uprightness of his moral character, which, on such 
occasions, are expected. The candidate was then set apart 
to the work of the gospel ministry, by imposition of hands 
and prayer. The right hand of fellowship was then given, 
and the charge delivered by the Rev. Dr. Allison. 

It may be interesting to some of the readers of this work, 
to see the form of an ordination certificate, as drawn up by 
the Baptists of that day. 

Ordination Certijicate. 
" To all whom it may concern : 

" These are to certify, that the subscribers, being con- 
vened at Bordentown, State of New-Jersey, on the 17th day 
of June, 1797, for the purpose of setting apart, by solemn 
ordination, the bearer hereof, William Staughton, to the 
sacred office of the ministry ; and being, by sufficient tes- 
timony, fully certified of his moral character, real piety, 
and sound knowledge in divine things, as well as ministe- 
rial gifts and abilities, whereof we have had also, otherwise, 
sufficient knowledge, did, therefore, on the said 17th day 
of June, in the presence of the Baptist church of said 



44 MEMOIROP 

place, and a full assembly met, solemnly ordain and set 
apart to the sacred office of the ministry, by imposition of 
hands, prayer, and other rituals amongst us, in that case 
in use, the said bearer hereof, our worthy and reverend 
brother, William Staughton, whom we therefore recom- 
mend, as such, to favor, respect, and acceptance, for his 
own and the work's sake. 

(Signed) Samuel Jones, of Lower Dublin, 

William Rodgers, of Philadelphia, 
BuRGiss Allison, of Bordentown, 
Peter Wilson, of Hightstown, 
Morgan J. Rhees, of Philadelphia." 

He, who was ordained, and they, who officiated in this 
solemn service, are now sleeping in the grave. Other 
voices are heard, where once they proclaimed the Gospel ; 
other feet pass the threshhold, where they loved to exhibit 
the doctrine of the cross. But we trust, 

"They sleep in Jesus, and are blessed." 

During his residence in Bordentown, he mingled in the 
deliberations of the Philadelphia Association, which, at 
that time, embraced within its bounds the Baptist churches 
in the State of New- Jersey. This place was, also, for a 
time, the residence of the celebrated Thomas Paine. Per- 
mit me, in passing, to introduce a short conversation. Mr. 
Staughton was one day sitting at his door, when Thomas 
Paine stopped, and, after making some remarks of a gen- 
eral character, he observed, " Mr. Staughton, what a pity 
it is that man has not some comprehensive and perfect 
rule for the government of his life." He replied, " Mr. 
Paine, there is such a rule." " What is that?" he said. 
Mr. Staughton repeated the passage, " Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thy- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 45 

self." "Oh," said Paine, "that's in your bible/' and im- 
mediately walked away. 

At the Association of 1796, the person appointed to 
write the Circular I.etter having failed in this duty, Mr. 
Staughton was requested to prepare one, to accompany the 
Minutes. He immediately proceeded to write a Circular 
on the subject of infidelity, which was unanimously adopted. 
His mind was probably impressed with this subject, from 
the circumstance that his residence was the scene of 
Paine's labors. As this is a subject producing an unhappy 
influence at the present day, the letter is here reprinted. 
It will manifest the readiness with which he could pre- 
pare a document for public observation, and, at the same 
time, serve as an antidote to the infidel poison of the age 
in which we live. It may prove of special utility to the 
Christian reader, by placing before him the only ground 
on which Christianity, as far as his instrumentality is con- 
cerned, can be rendered triumphant. 

" Christian Brethren, 

" According to the good hand of our God upon us, we 
are again met in Association. With gratitude to him who 
is head over all things to the church, we mention, that the 
various letters we have received from the churches, testify, 
that among them love and peace prevail, and that, in like 
manner, harmony has crowned our recent deliberations. 

" Accustomed annually to address you, and to derive the 
theme of our letter from the succession of subjects in our 
Confession of Faith, we expected this year to have set be- 
fore you the principles and pleasures of Christian liberty, 
and liberty of conscience. Though in this expectation 
disappointed, we are still desirous of pressing on your minds 
such reflections as shall be friendly to your advance in 
knowledge and virtue. 

5* 



46 MEMOIROP 

*' Not more from the present state of religion, than from 
the pious hints suggested in your letters, our thoughts are 
turned to the prevalence of infidelity. With that regret 
and anxiety which every good man must feel, vi^hen the 
godly man ceaseth, and when the wicked prevail, we ob- 
serve crowds of unreflecting youths, pressing on to ruin, 
fascinated with systems, which, though congenial with de- 
pravity, are at an infinite remove from holiness and truth. 
Our eyes, our ears, affect our hearts, while we perceive the 
sophistry admired which is pointed against the Gospel of 
Christ, and the course of thought and conversation, which 
tends to the advancement of guilt and confusion, applauded 
as fashionable and just. 

" To trace this evil to its proper source, we must recur 
to the original depravity of man ; but we perceive a less 
distant cause in the revolution of empire. Our God sitteth 
upon the circle of the earth, and guides its affairs as. his 
infinite perfections direct, yet its vicissitudes are usually so 
connected, that one event appears naturally to arise out of 
another. Europe has for ages been deluged in supersti- 
tion, and even where the Reformation had destroyed its 
servile fetters, among the professors of religion little of the 
power of godliness was visible. 

" We rejoice in the progress of civil liberty, because so 
intimately related to the liberty with which Christ has 
made us free ; but we perceive that, as it moves, papal 
superstition and protestant insensibility are brought to 
light. While these are, by their advocates, termed reli- 
gion, the infidel, with an air of plausibility, exclaims — all 
religion is vain. 

"-Permit us, Christian brethren, as such who watch for 
your souls, to guard your minds against the influence of 
this prevailing evil. In this unfriendly world, popular sen- 
timents, though evidently erroneous, sometimes produce 



DR. STAUGHTON. 47 

an unhappy effect on the minds of such who are coming 
up out of the world. The unavoidable habits of society, 
operating in conjunction with remaining depravity, too 
frequently give a tone to the thoughts and actions of be- 
lievers, which is contrary to the simplicity that is in Christ. 
Brethren, forgive the jealousy we feel, lest they produce 
this effect among you. 

" As an antidote to this evil, we affectionately exhort 
you to labor after an enlarged acquaintance with divine 
truth. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all 
wisdom. You have a reason of the hope that is in you ; 
stand prepared, on every proper occasion, to give it with 
meekness and fear. While you implore the teaching of 
the Spirit of God, search the Scriptures. The religion of 
Jesus courts the investigation of all, but it has a special 
claim on the attention of the righteous. Ye are set as a 
defence of the Gospel ; the sword of the Spirit, which is 
the word of God, is put into your hands ; be ambitious to 
use it with a happy dexterity. Prompt and ingenious are 
the sons of infidelity in disseminating error ; and shall the 
sons of God be inactive and unskilful in the support of 
truth ? Never do the triumphs of an infidel rise higher than 
when a man of God stands foiled before him. 

" But while we urge you to seek an increase of the 
knowledge of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, and when 
duty invites to appear as the advocates for evangelical 
piety, we beseech you scrupulously to banish a love of vain 
disputation. Aware of the invincible arguments in favor 
of the truth as it is in Jesus, and prone to mingle our per- 
sonal interests with the subject we defend, we are in dan- 
ger of disputing for the poor reward of victory. 

" Remember, brethren, the religion we profess is of in- 
finite moment ; seriousness ought to attend all our labors 
to maintain its truth. If you attempt to defend the Gospel 



48 MEMOIROP 

with infidel wit and heroism, a wound will be received in 
the house of a friend ; but when you appear in its defence, 
with all the weight of eternal concerns on your minds, 
the circumstance, like the splendor on the countenance of 
Moses, will make a rebellious people tremble. It is ac- 
knowledged, that the shafts of satire are sometimes pro- 
jected with success against vice and error ; but they more 
frequently fall pointless to the ground. The weapon is 
dangerous, and in the sacred pages little used. Every 
sentiment has its natural influence. The tendency of in- 
fidelity is to produce ridicule and folly, while wisdom and 
seriousness are the offspring of religion. When we, by 
folly and ridicule, attempt to overturn popular errors, we 
give the wicked an easy triumph, by indulging in ourselves 
the unhappy influence, at the time we condemn the senti- 
ment. But before a holy savor of truth, as before the in- 
cense of the altar in Bethel, the lifted arm of every opposing 
Jeroboam will be dried up. 

" But, brethren, it is not enough that you maintain the 
truth by argument ; the purity of your walk and conversa- 
tion will best demonstrate the sincerity and excellency of 
your faith. Errors have for ages distracted the Christian 
church ; but they have generally originated in the ungodly 
lives of the professors of religion. The enemies of the 
cross blend together the Gospel of Christ and the lives of 
its subjects, and when believers sin, ascribe the iniquity to 
the Gospel itself At a time like the present, when the 
adversaries of truth are torturing their invention for new 
arguments against the cause which ought to be dearer to 
you than your lives, how ought you to walk circumspectly, 
not as fools, but as wise, that by well-doing ye may put to 
silence the ignorance of foolish men. There is, brethren, 
an awfulness in piety, before the display of which the most 
hardened infidel is occasionally confounded. While your 



DR. 8TAUGHTON. 49 

conversation is as becometh the Gospel of Christ, assure 
yourselves, that though the ungodly outwardly laugh at 
and contemn you, they inwardly tremble and approve. 

" For nearly a century past, shame, arising from de- 
rision, has been but little realized in the church ; we have 
long sat peaceful and blessed, as under vines and fig-trees. 
But in the present day, by appearing as the friends of vital 
and experimental godliness, by determining, assisted by 
the Holy Spirit, to follow the Lamb of God, whithersoever 
he goeth, we must expect to have our ideas pitied as mis- 
taken, and our affections derided as enthusiastic. But to 
suffer for well-doing is an honor ; and while we consider 
shame for the sake of Jesus, not as an evil patiently to be 
borne, but as a mark of glory, of which, like the apostles, 
we are accounted worthy, like them we shall rejoice in 
him. 

" When you enter the sanctuary of the Lord, or retire 
into your closets, and hold communion with your own 
hearts, and with the God of your salvation, the hard speeches 
of the wicked will appear lighter than vanity ; and while 
you reflect, that the natural man knoweth not the things of 
the Spirit of God, and that base things of the world are 
chosen to confound the mighty, for the aversion of the 
learned and opulent in our day, you will as easily account, 
as for the conduct of the Jews and Greeks, in the days of 
the apostles, in pronouncing the preaching of the cross a 
stumbling-block and foolishness. As the purity of the 
Gospel is educible from the aversion of wicked men, so 
the impurity of infidel opinions is demonstrable from their 
passionate zeal for their diffusion. 

" From the earliest ages of time, the world has had its 
course. Lust, idolatry, persecution and superstition have 
successively been as mighty streams, on which thousands 
have been borne along to ruin. At present, infidelity pre- 



50 MEMOIR OF 

vails ; but it is an evil, and every evil, like the frail body 
of man, has the principle of decay within itself. An infidel 
exhibits his sentiments, and considers them as a lamp to 
the nations. His actions testify, it is the lamp of the 
vv^icked, and heaven declares the lamp of the wicked shall 
be put out. 

" While the nations rage, and the earth is moved, ye who 
love the God of Israel and pray for the prosperity of Zion, 
like venerable Eli, when the Philistines were contending 
between Ebenezer and Aphek, may tremble for the ark of 
the Lord ; but not like him shall ye sink under the dis- 
tressing information, that the ark is taken — the kingdom 
of Jesus overthrown. Universal empire and permanent 
prosperity are promised to the great Redeemer : of the in- 
crease of his dominion and peace there shall be no end. 
The present spread of infidelity, far from portending the 
destruction of Christianity, establishes its truths, by fulfil- 
ling its predictions. The earth is waxing old, like a gar- 
ment, and, like smoke, the heavens will shortly vanish 
away ; all flesh is grass, and the grass withereth, but the 
word of our God, which by the Gospel is preached unto 
you, shall stand forever. Banish Christianity from the 
world, and what remains but guilt and death ? But this 
is a living system, and must prevail till the kingdoms of 
this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his 
Christ. 

" When pursuing the interests of Zion, we are fellow- 
workers with God. Do we pray for the coming of the 
Saviour's kingdom ? martyrs, at the foot of the altar, join 
our prayers. Do we groan ? we groan with the creation, 
which travails for the redemption of the body of the 
righteous. Do we expect the period? we expect with 
Jesus. At the right hand of his father he sits, henceforth 
expecting, until his enemies be made his footstool. 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 51 

'' The God of heaven baffles the designs of Satan, and 
lausjhs at the more of the wicked against his Anointed. 
When persecution was stirred up at Jerusalem, the disci- 
ples, indeed, were scattered ; but by their dispersion their 
sound went out into all lands, and their words unto the 
end of the world. As persecution was formerly made to 
promote the Gospel, by separating the disciples, in the 
present age infidelity appears to answer the same grand 
design, by uniting them together. The distinctions which 
till lately destroyed the happiness of different sects of 
Christians, lose their importance, while they prepare to 
encounter a common enemy. When the tribes of Israel 
were at peace with surrounding nations, contentions com- 
monly existed among themselves ; but when a foreign foe 
drew near to battle, the different tribeships were forgotten, 
while in one great band, as the people of God, they march- 
ed to contest and victory. 

" Amid the important revolutions, with which we are 
daily familiar, let us pray, that, standing with our loins 
girt about, and our lamps burning, we may be prepared 
for every event, and that, our work on earth being finished, 
we may enter into the joy of our Lord," 

Events in providence seemed to invite him to settle in 
Burlington, N. J. To, this place he removed towards the 
close of the year 1798. Here he had charge of a large 
and flourishing academy. Many of his pupils were board- 
ers, generally from forty to fifty in number, besides others 
who resided in the place. His scholars were among the 
best prepared young men that entered and graduated at 
the Princeton college. While his pupils reverenced him, 
and loved him as a father, their parents acknowledged 
their obligations and their gratitude. The following ex- 
tract of a letter to him is but one specimen among many 
of the truth of this statement : 



53 MEMOIROF 

" I cannot conclude, without gratefully, and from the 
bottom of my heart, testifying to you the high sense I en- 
tertain of your watchful care over my dear son, who, under 
the Almighty guidance, bids so fair to be a comfort to me 
in my old age. I have, indeed, every reason to be thank- 
ful, and were I rich, should testify it in a more acceptable 
manner. At present, this is all I can do." 

His habits of industry and laborious efforts were re- 
marked by all who knew him. He rose every morning, 
through the summer, at a very early hour, and cultivated, 
with his own hands, a large garden, which was not sur- 
passed by any in the place. From six to eight, from nine 
to twelve, in the morning, and from two to five, in the 
afternoon, his time was employed in the school-room. In 
addition to this, he supplied two churches on the Lord's 
day, preached frequently through the week, and found time 
to pursue his private studies to considerable advantage. 
He was honored by the head of the church to raise up a 
Baptist interest in Burlington. It was commenced with 
fourteen members, and at the time of his removal numbered 
ninety-three. 

At the early age of twenty-eight, while residing in this 
place, he received from the Princeton college the degree 
of Doctor of Divinity. It was granted upon the motion of 
Governor Bloomfield, his intimate and firm friend till death. 
Of this honor he had not the least expectation, being en- 
tirely ignorant that it was contemplated. How well quali- 
fied he was for this degree, appears by a letter from the 
Rev. Dr. Rogers to a friend in England, dated October 
7th, 1801. 

" Yesterday our Association opened. The additions 
were pleasing. I delivered the introductory sermon, from 



DR. STAUGHTON. 53 

Psalm 84 : 4. The Rev. James Evving, of Hopewell, N. J. 
was chosen moderator, and Dr. William Staughton, clerk. 
I say Dr. Staughton, as he was admitted to that honor in 
the college of New-Jersey, at their commencement, last 
week. Eighteen trustees were present, and all unanimous 
for conferring the degree. This will redound to their 
credit and liberality, as we have very few men among us 
who better ornament their stations or adorn the doctrine 
of God, our Saviour." 

In the year 1804, he was strongly solicited to settle in 
the West, and some offers, apparently advantageous to 
himself, and promising great usefulness in the cause of 
Christ, were made to him by a gentleman residing in the 
State of Ohio. To make some investigations upon this 
subject, he visited the West, and formed an extensive ac- 
quaintance with Baptist ministers. 

In the course of this excursion, he became perfectly 
satisfied that a removal would neither promote his comfort 
nor his usefulness, under the existing circumstances. He 
therefore returned home, and resumed his labors in Bur- 
lington. 

Ever solicitous for the present and future welfare of his 
children, he composed, on this journey, a hymn for his 
eldest daughter. He was well aware of the influence of 
sacred poetry upon the youthful mind, and especially when 
cherished as the production of an affectionate and absent 
father. 

Hijmn composed for Leonora, hy her father, October 7th, 1804, in the 
wilderness, one hundred and ticenty miles east of Cincinnati ; 

1. Almighty King, ray infant heart 

Would raise its thoughts to thee ; 
Be thou my friend, my better part ; 
May 1 thy servant be. 
6 



54 MEMOIROF 

2. By nature, far from all that's good, 

And prone to every sin ; 
O, wash me in the Saviour's blood, 
For that can make me clean. 

3. Assist me, as my years increase, 

To choose and love thy ways ; 
And may thy Spirit give me grace 
To manifest thy praise. 

4. Then, when my dying hour shall come, 

Saved from an awful hell ; 
May heaven be my eternal home. 
And I with angels dwell. 

Daring the early part of his residence in Burlington, 
death deprived him of his eldest child, Hinton. He died 
on the 14th of December, 1799, the day on which Wash- 
ington departed this life. In his mother's arms, while 
holding him in a bath, and unconscious of his extreme 
danger, he sweetly and silently passed away. His affec- 
tionate mother immediately exclaimed, in a firm voice, 
" The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and bless- 
ed be the name of the Lord." The father replied, '' Amen, 
my dear, amen." The night this lovely child deceased, 
the physician remained with the family ; and he afterwards 
declared, that religion never appeared to him so lovely as 
it did that night, seeing the affection, and yet the resigna- 
tion, of the parents. 

The following letter, from his afflicted father, gives an 
account of the child's sickness and decease, and will be 
read with interest : 

^'Burlington, Jan. 31, 1800. 
'' My dear Sir, 

'' Since I had the pleasure of seeing you in Burlington, 
it has been the pleasure of our heavenly Father to visit my 



DR. STAUGHTON. 55 

Maria and self with an affliction more severe than any we 
had previously known. That lovely little fellow you saw 
playing about our parlor, and heard prattling the names of 
your son, Mr. Furman, his parents, and of every member 
of our family, now prattles on earth no more. The precious 
infant has, by death, been removed from a world of sin 
and grief, to realms of perpetual purity and felicity. 

" The same day which deprived the United States of 
their Commander in Chief witnessed the departure of our 
dear little William H. Staughton from earth to glory. On 
the Monday I returned from Philadelphia, he was vigorous 
as the morning, and smiling as the spring. On Tuesday, I 
was fondly comparing his height with a child in our family, 
who was more than four years old, and pleased with his 
equalling her in tallness, and exceeding her in health and 
vigor. On Thursday morning, he was taken with a hoarse- 
ness in his throat, which yielded to medicine, and towards 
the middle of the day he appeared to have perfectly recov- 
ered. In the evening, he was visited with a return of the 
complaint, which we soon discovered to be the croup. We 
instantly called in medical assistance ; and though every 
means was used we could conceive proper, yet medicine 
was inefficacious, hopes were disappointed, and on Satur- 
day morning, on the lap of his afflicted mother, he fell 
asleep. 

" Oh, my dear brother, I cannot tell you how great the 
shock has been. My dear Maria was the less able to bear 
it, as her health is very feeble ; but, blessed be the Lord, 
who ' comforteth us in all our tribulation,' we have found 
grace sufficient where we thought we must have sunk in 
deep waters — we have found the word of promise true, 
* When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, 
and through the floods, they shall not overflow thee.' Two 
little works. Dr. Grosvenor's Mourner^ and Mr. Flavel's 



56 MEMOIROF 

Token for Mourners, have, under God, proved mines of 

consolation ; but still, the loss of a Jirst-horn, lovely, only, 

promising child, requires great grace to enable the mind, 

with perfect reconciliation, to say, ' The Lord gave, and 

the Lord hath taken avi^ay, and blessed be the name of the 

Lord.' I feel happy in being able to say that these words 

were uttered by my dear Mrs. S , just as the spirit left 

the lovely clay. 

" With the most sincere respect and affection, 

" I am, my dear Sir, your friend and brother, 

"Y^^. STAUGHTON. 
Mr. Wm. Inglesby." 

About twenty-five years after this sad event, I walked 
with him one day to the gate of the burying-ground, in 
which the ashes of his child reposed. He pointed to the 
spot, and said, *' There lies my precious little Hinton." 
He turned away — his heart was full, and the tears rolled 
down his cheeks, as though the departure of the child was 
the event of the preceding day. On the stone erected to 
mark the spot where he sleeps, after the date of his death 
and the age at which he died, are seen the beautiful lines 
of Dr. Doddridge : 

'' See, Israel's gentle Shepherd stands. 

With all engaging charms ; 
Hark ! how he calls the tender lambs, 

And folds them in his arms." 



DR. STAUGHTON. 67 



CHAPTER III. 

Removal to Philadelphia — connection with the first Baptist church 
— condition of the Baptists in that church, and their'subsequent 
prosperity — Sabbath morning preaching near the Swedes' church 
— extensive labors, and great popularity — prayer-meeting in Lom- 
bard-street — his dependence on the righteousness of Christ — re- 
signation of the pastoral charge of the first church, with the mo- 
tives inducing this step — final address to them. 

We have now arrived at a most important period in the 
life of Dr. Staughton. Having frequently, towards the 
close of his residence in Burlington, visited Philadelphia, 
and preached in the first Baptist church, an effort was 
made to secure his entire services in that body. He was 
accordingly invited to supply the church for one year. A 
committee was appointed to wait on him, and obtain his 
consent. Previously to this, the reasons of which the fol- 
lowing letter will exhibit, one of the committee, Dr. Bil- 
lings, was requested to write to him. 

" Philadelphia, January 15th, 1805. 
** My dear brother, 

" The object of this letter is to inform you, that, at an 
adjourned church meeting of the first church, last evening, 
a vote was carried, " That a committee be appointed to 
wait on Dr. Staughton, in order to ascertain whether he 
would supply the church for one year, and upon what con- 
ditions." I, therefore, am requested by the committee to 
write to you, to know whether you are coming to Philadel- 
phia, the latter end of this week, or the beginning of the 
next, having heard that you are. If not, to inform you 
that the committee intend visiting you next Saturday.^You 

6* 



58 MEMOIROF 

are affectionately requested to send an answer to this letter 
by return of post, to 

" Your unworthy servant, 

THOMAS BILLINGS." 

In the same letter, the reason is assigned why the call 
was made for one year. '' Upon due investigation, the 
church are, at present, under a few embarrassments re- 
specting their finances. Prudence, therefore, I hope, has 
directed them to the procuring of a supply for one year, at 
which time it is expected they will be both able to call a 
pastor, and make him comfortable." 

For some time after the acceptance of this invitation, his 
family continued to reside in Burlington, while he himself 
was residing and preaching in Philadelphia. His feelings 
are very briefly expressed in a letter dated September 10th, 
1805. '' It is a strange sort of life to live, boarding and 
laboring in one place, while you and the children are liv- 
ing in another. However, I must submit." Those who 
were personally acquainted with his attachment to the do- 
mestic circle, know that this mode of living must have 
been to him a peculiar trial. 

The Baptists, at this time, were few, and their house of 
worship, in Second-street, contracted, being only forty-two 
feet by sixty. Their congregation was almost the smallest 
in the city. In a short time after his labors commenced, 
a great change was visible. The congregation increased, 
so that not only the pews were filled, but the very aisles of 
the building were crowded with hearers. The prospects of 
a revival were exceedingly animating, and the providence 
of God seemed to indicate that the subject of this memoir 
had at length entered the appropriate field of his future 
ministrations. 

On the second Monday in March, 1806, Dr. Staughton 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 59 

was called to the pastoral care of the church. It was soon 
found necessary to enlarge the building in which they 
worshipped to its present dimensions of sixty feet in 
breadth by seventy-three in depth. The amount arising 
from pew rents changed, from about six hundred annually, 
to more than two thousand dollars. To the enlaro-ement 
of the house, his personal exertions contributed. Day after 
day, he toiled, with cheerfulness, among the citizens, to 
raise the requisite sum. The church seemed to be blest 
with the incessant outpouring of the Holy Spirit. During 
his ministry among them, more than a hundred members 
were added by letter, and nearly three hundred by bap- 
tism. Two churches were constituted out of this body, 
the third Baptist, and the first African, of Philadelphia, 
and a commodious building was erected on the banks of 
the Schuylkill for the convenience of candidates on baptis- 
mal occasions. The letters which are here inserted have 
relation to this period of his ministry. They were written 
to Mr. Inglesby, of Charleston, S. C. 

" PJiiladelphia, June 14, 1806. 
" My dear brother, 

" I received duly your favors of the 12th of May. I 
pray God this sheet may find you safely arrived in our na- 
tive country, and enjoying those sacred pleasures which 
the presence of God and the company of his people are so 
capable of imparting. To see, once more, the white hills 
of Albion, would be to me a very great gratification. I do 
not, however, hope to share it ; and the habit of relinquish- 
ing the hope has, in some measure, reconciled me to the 
trial. I have, nevertheless, dear friends, whose memory 
must be dear, so long as the faculty of recollection remains, 
who still inhabit the shores which gave me birth. Should 
you be able to give my father a call, he will be happy to 



60 MEMOIROP 

see you, as the affectionate friend of his son. His lot in 
life is not among the children of wealth, but he is rich in 
faith, and an heir of the kingdom of heaven. Should you 
see my parents, tell them I have written them by the last 
packet, and that we are all well. Give our love to them, 
and all our dear relatives. Mrs. Staughton's mother resides 
at Bromsgrove. You will find her, by inquiring for Mrs. 
Martin, late Dr. Martin. She will be truly happy to see 
you. 

" Should you visit Oxford, call on Mr. Hinton. Tell him 
you are my affectionate friend, and that will make him 
yours. If I can, I will write him by the Cornplanter, the 
ship that is to convey this to you. The work of God in 
Philadelphia is gloriously progressing. Last month, I bap- 
tized sixteen. As many among us have followed the Lord 
Jesus during the present month, and I expect, at the be- 
ginning of July, to take into the Schuylkill at least as many 
more. Our society meetings are overflowing, and great 
numbers of young persons are weeping over sin, or exult- 
ing in a precious Jesus. 

" We have now at our house two of the brethren from the 
Serampore mission house near Calcutta. They are on 
their way to England. I have written Dr. Rippon on the 
subject, who will communicate the intelligence to the mis- 
sionary society. 

" The Lord enable us, my dear brother, to live near him 
in the exercises of faith and devotion, and then amid every 
disaster, whether by sea or land, we shall be happy and 
secure. We wish you a safe return to America. I shall 
be happy to assure you, in a living voice, without the 
tediousness of letter writing, that I am, 
" My dear brother, 

" Very affectionately yours, 

W. STAUGHTON." 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 61 

" August, 1807. 
" My dear Brother, 

" I don't deserve the least interest in your affection, and 
yet I am dissatisfied unless I possess a very large one. I 
never wished to be a better correspondent than 7io2v, and 
yet I never was a worse. Forgive me — if while there's 
life there's hope, I, notwithstanding all, may mend. 

" For some time after receiving your favor, informing 
me of your return from England, I delayed writing, waiting 
for time to write you a long letter. Time, ' ever stealing,' 
had gone away so far, that I became doubtful whether or 
not you were on your way to us. We have been hourly, 
weekly expecting you. We have this summer a beautiful 
situation, four miles from Philadelphia, where we hoped to 
have spent many pleasant days together, and to which, if it 
be not too late, w'e beg of you still to come. 

" Our cities have been mercifully free from yellow fever, 
but have been visited with a very troublesome influenza. I 
suspect at least ten thousand of the inhabitants of Phila- 
delphia and the country round have been so afflicted ; per- 
haps twice the number. Last Lord's day, I went through 
the services much as usual, with comfort to myself. In the 
evening, I felt a sore throat ; on Monday, a high fever ; 
Tuesday, better ; Wednesday, feeble, but thought the worst 
was over ; Thursday morning, on rising from bed, I was 
taken with a violent chill, followed by a high fever all the 
day ; yesterday, better ; to-day, arose, expecting the chill's 
return, but find myself so much better as to be able to 
write to Charleston. The disorder usually lasts about 
three or four days. Mine has been prolonged by the cold 
and chill. Should you visit us, I hope all will be over be- 
fore you arrive. Mrs. Staughton is now down with it. By 
the way, you must completely exonerate her of all blame, 
or share in the blame, of not writing you earlier ; for she 



62 MEMOIROP 

has, I am ashamed to tell you, been urging me on, almost 
to a degree of persecution. 

" Through mercy, the church is on the increase, grad- 
ually, if not rapidly. I have baptized, every month, one 
only excepted, for the last eighteen or twenty months, and 
the work, I trust, is still on its way. We have purchased 
ground for enlarging our house, and hope, in the spring, to 
enter on the building. 

" Wishing you much of the Lord's presence, I continue 
*' Your very affectionate brother, 

W. STAUGHTON." 

*' Germantown, Aug. 14, 1809. 
" My dear Brother, 

" Your favor of the 5th lay several days in our German- 
town post-office. You will have the goodness to direct all 
your letters to Philadelphia. I thank you for that affec- 
tionate concern you discover for my impaired health. I 
hope it is improving. I wish to feel myself in the hands 
of a gracious and faithful God. I am trying to my utmost 
to diminish the sphere of my daily and weekly toil. 

.J2, J£. ^ ^U -il* 4f* 

TV" "A* TV* TT •A" TV* 

"Nothing material has occurred in our religious circles 
since I saw you, and as to the political, I am persuaded 
you are far wiser than I am. To teach a few children the 
elements of science, and the fear of the Lord, and to 
preach 

" Salvation from the Lord, 
To wretched, dying men," 

is all the public service to which I see myself called, and 
almost all for which I greatly care. 

*' I am, in the best of bonds, 

" Affectionately yours, 

W. STAUGHTON." 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 63 

To contemplate the multiplied engagements of Dr. 
Staughton during his residence in Philadelphia, it would 
seem almost impossible that any human constitution could 
sustain them. Besides the daily instruction of youth, he 
preached for some time four sermons every Lord's day. 
His morning exercise, at six o'clock, was exceedingly inter- 
esting. This took place in the southern part of the city, 
near the Swedes' church, under a large beach tree. Fre- 
quently from eight hundred to one thousand persons were 
assembled together, among whom were many seamen. 
Here many solemn and weeping seasons were experienced, 
and many will bless God through eternity that they ever 
sat under the shade of the venerable beach, and heard the 
voice of him, who, being dead, yet speaketh. The texts of 
scripture from which he preached on these occasions, were 
of a peculiarly appropriate character, such, for example, as 
the following : " And he shall be as the light of the morn- 
ing, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds ; 
as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shin- 
ing after rain." " The path of the just is as the shining 
light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day." 
Prov. 4 : 18. " The day-spring from on high hath visited 
us." Luke, 1 : 78. 

It is a tribute of respect due to Mr. Beasley, who threw 
open his premises for this purpose, to say, that he and his 
family prepared temporary seats, and made arrangements 
for the convenience of the assembly with the greatest cheer- 
fulness and zeal. The Doctor has often mentioned their 
conduct with the warmest commendation. 

The last season he preached there, his friends entreated 
him not to resume the toil, as his health was obviously in- 
competent to the exertion. His closing sermon was from 
the words, " Let us hear the conclusion of the whole mat- 
ter ; fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the 



64 MEMOIROF 

whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into 
judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or 
whether it be evil." 

In Philadelphia he first began to exercise that extensive 
influence in society, and particularly in his own denomina- 
tion, to which the most commanding talents, associated 
with the happiest address, entitled him. His brethren in 
other places now sought his counsel, and numerous churches 
solicited his judgment, as to persons suitable to be placed 
over them in the Lord. He had a great facility of discern- 
ing the capacities of his brethren in the ministry, and re- 
commending stations in which they might accomplish the 
greatest amount of good. 

By the permission of his friend and brother, the Rev. Mr. 
Maylin, the following testimony is inserted from his journal. 
He says : " Upon our landing, we waited on the Rev. Dr. 
Staughton, pastor of the first Baptist church meeting in 
Second-street, to whom we had letters of introduction ; who 
gave us a most friendly reception, welcoming us to his 
hospitable abode, and who acted towards us, during the 
whole of our stay, the part of a faithful and affectionate 
friend. His intelligent, pious conversation, and agreeable 
manners, with the interest he took in the missionary cause, 
soon gained for him our respect and warm admiration. 
We accompanied the Doctor the evening of our arrival, to 
a religious meeting at Lombard-street, at sister Bright's. 
Here, for the first time, an opportunity presented of notic- 
ing his qualifications for usefulness as a preacher, in win- 
ning souls to Christ, and which afterwards was more fully 
confirmed. In labors he was abundant, in success eminent, 
in the good opinion of society singularly favored, insomuch 
as to command a general respect for his uncommon ability 
and eloquence. Distinguished men from all the learned 
professions, respectable and influential citizens, and a varied 



I 



D R. S T A U G n T O N. 65 

company of all descriptions, seemed equally desirous of 
hearing him preach. Let it be understood, moreover, that 
the fervor of Christian devotion which was observable might 
have produced a tendency to animate the strain of his 
preaching." 

The prayer-meeting at the house of Mrs. Bright, in liOm- 
bard-street, to which the above passage refers, is of too 
interesting a character to be passed over by a slight notice. 
It was a bethel to many souls. Deep solemnity marked 
the exercises. The cry was frequently made, " What shall 
I do to be saved?" One who had participated largely in 
the blessings of this meeting, says, " the apartment in which 
it was held was almost always crowded with solemn and 
attentive hearers." Alluding to Dr. Staughton, he con- 
tinues : '' His faculties at that period were in their full 
vigor, and he preached in the spirit and power of Elias, 
turning the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. For 
several years a large proportion of those who joined the 
Baptist church in Second-street, were either awakened 
or obtained peace in believing, at these meetings. Such 
soul-refreshing seasons I have never witnessed, either be- 
fore or since. I sometimes think of them, as 

' Joys departed, ne'er to be recalled.' " 

To witness the march of the Redeemer's empire was his 
highest gratification. It is not unfrequently the case that 
ministers of the gospel, from an improper jealousy, from 
positive ignorance of their duty, or from a meanness that 
ill accords with Christian character, oppose the admission 
of members for the purpose of forming nev/ churches. 
Nothing can be more adverse to genuine piety, and to the 
interests of the cause of Christ, than a course of this kind. 
How far this differs from the character of our deceased 

friend, let the churches which he was instrumental inrais- 

7 



66 MEMOIR OP 

ing up in Philadelphia testify. Let the following extract 
of a letter to the Rev. Mr. Maylin, then at Serampore, be 
read with attention, and it will be found to contain the 
spirit by which he was influenced in all his public minis- 
trations. The letter is dated July 31st, 1809 : " I under- 
stand it is in contemplation to have another Baptist church, 
immediately, in Southwark. Twenty-two members, I ex- 
pect, will apply next church-meeting for letters of admis- 
sion for the purpose. Our brother Peekworth will, most 
probably, be constituted with them, and become their pas- 
tor. I long and hope to see several more Baptist churches 
in our city, before many years are past." 

In the same letter, the fixed resolution of his soul to em- 
ploy all his strength in the cause of Christ, and his entire 
dependence upon the blood of atonement for final accept- 
ance, are happily exhibited. 

"My health, which, last winter, as you know, was very 
imperfect, is, I hope, improving. Sometimes I regret that 
I cannot indulge my body a little more, by diminishing my 
labors, but I find I cannot. If it be the will of the Lord 
that I wear out, I am quite ready for the task. My great 
concern is to be of some little use to my dying fellow-sin- 
ners, while I continue to breathe; and that when the breath 
departs, I may find acceptance at last, through the tender 
mercy of the great Redeemer. I am ashamed of every 
service I have performed, and, in prospect of the solemni- 
ties of an invisible state, have no hope springing from any 
source but the blood and righteousness of the Son of Ood." 

With the first church he continued as pastor, until the 
year 181L He was a man of warm attachments and deli- 
cate sensibilities. Tender of the feelings of others, he 
claimed the same tenderness towards himself, but he felt 
that, on the part of some, the feelings of himself and his 
family were not properly respected ; and he believed that it 



DR. STAUGHTON. 67 

would promote his own comfort, as well as the cause of 
Christ, that his connexion with that church should cease. 
When it was understood that he contemplated leaving them, 
many of the most respectable and influential members 
waited upon him, and importuned him, in the most feeling 
strain, not to resign his connexion. In addition to this 
effort, the following address was put into his hand, signed 
by a large number of the members : 

"We, the undersigned, members of the first Baptist 
church in Philadelphia, having, with extreme regret, heard 
that our beloved and much esteemed pastor. Dr. William 
Staughton, has been thinking of removing from us, do, in 
our individual capacity, hereby express the sorrow of our 
hearts at it, and most sincerely hope that he may make up 
his mind to continue with us ; and fervently pray that the 
Lord may preserve him to us a great blessing for many 
years. We do all express the peculiar satisfaction and 
edification, we have received under his ministry, and the 
warmth of our affection for him.'* 

To this he returned an answer : 

" January 4, 1811. 
" To the brethren and sisters, members of the first Baptist 
church in Philadelphia, from whom I have received an af- 
fectionate address, requesting me to continue my connexion 
with the body to which they and myself severally belong : 
*' My much loved, valued friends, 

" The kindness your late request discovers, affects me 
extremely. I receive it with tears of gratitude, and fer- 
vently pray that the God of love and peace may recompense 
to your bosoms seven fold. The Lord grant you may find 
mercy in that day, when even a cup of cold water shall not 
lose its reward. 

" From your company and converse, since my residence 



68 M E M O I R O F 

in Philadelphia, a large proportion of my consolations have 
resulted. My aims and my labors, God is my witness, as 
far as an enfeebled constitution could suffer, have been di- 
rected to the honor and prosperity of the cause of the Lord 
Jesus in Second-street. I had hoped to have died in the 
service of the church, and that my remains in its cemetery 
would have found their resting place ; but, as far as I am 
able, from the providences of God, and from the deep im- 
pressions of my own heart, to collect the will of my great 
Master, my expectations were erroneous. 

"In the north and south of our city the Saviour has 
planted a church, and is adding his blessing. The western 
part presents a large circle of growing importance and pop- 
ulation, where scarce a mansion for the worship of Christ 
is to be found. An attempt was made, indeed, by the min- 
istering brethren in this city, to establish a lecture to the 
westward. I had hoped it would have succeeded, but it 
has not. They have consented to decline it. An open 
door still remains, and I feel it in my heart to enter it. 

" The church in Second-street has grown to a size too 
P unwieldly for its comfort, and though two churches have 
been lately formed from it, its numbers call aloud for the 
constitution of more. A few of our brethren and sisters, 
without any concurrence of mine, a short time ago associat- 
ed themselves for the purpose of learning the mind of the 
Lord, and of each other, and are on the eve of applying for 
their letters of dismission, that they may constitute another to 
the westward. It has cost me much mental affliction to bring 
my mind to a decision, whether it were my duty to go with 
them or not. It is at length decided ; and my judgment, 
after much meditation and desire for divine direction, is, 
that the advancement of the Baptist interest, (which I view 
the interest of a precious Saviour,) promises to result from 
the measure. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 69 

" Should any of you, my dear brethren and sisters, differ 
from me in sentiments, I cannot censure you for the main- 
tenance of views, which are, in your judgment, correct. 
Let me hope that you will afford me the like indulgence, 
and that with severity you will judge nothing before the 
time. The church in Second-street will prosper, though I 
am about to resign my pastorship. I shall still be ready to 
every service of love to which it can with propriety call me. 
My prayers never shall cease to ascend, that peace may be 
within her walls, and plenteousness within her places. 
Children of God are there — it cannot be destroyed, for 
there is a blessing in it. 

" Let no misrepresentations, I solemnly beseech you, my 
dear friends, lead you to conceive that the path I contem- 
plate treading is the work of a spirit of party. You are 
my witnesses with what care I have ever labored to avoid 
the least intermixture with parties. If at any time such a 
spirit has appeared, I trust you will not think I have at all 
deserted the principles by which the ministers of the sanc- 
tuary ought to be governed. I am deceived if the main- 
spring of my conduct is not the glory of Christ Jesus. Yet 
should I have taken into the calculation a hope that my 
personal happiness may, by the measure, be augmented, I 
am conscious your indulgence and affection will forgive it. 

" Believe me, my dear brethren and sisters, your affec- 
tionate fellow-servant in the kingdom and patience of Jesus. 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON.'' 

A friend of his, a short time before his resignation of the 
first church, marked his grief He writes, " I thought I 
could perceive grief preying on your spirits, when you were 
in Newark, though you were silent as to the cause." This 
was perfectly characteristic. I have known him bowed 
down with sorrow, and his heart almost sinking under its 
7* 



70 MEMOIROF 

weight, when, not even to his own family, would he com- 
municate it, lest it should have an unhappy influence upon 
their feelings. 

For the resignation of his pastorship in the first church, 
he has been the subject of much impassioned censure, 
But the time has arrived when men can sit down, and 
coolly reflect upon these departed days. To his memory 
they will award the righteous decision, and cherish the 
belief that his motives, in this act, were pure and evangel- 
ical, and that if aught can be laid to his charge, it can ex- 
tend no further than to error in judgment concerning the 
path of duty. 

The spirit which breathes in his last address to that 
body, when he resigned his office, demands for it a promi- 
nent place in the history of his life. 

" My brethren and sisters, here assembled : 

" I have often arisen to address you, but never with the 
feelings which, this evening, possess my v/hole heart. 
It is possible, too, that the emotions of which you are 
the subjects are as unusual and as anxious as my own. 
Six years are now on the eve of expiring, since first from 
a neighboring and affectionate church you invited me to 
serve you. With your invitation I complied, not with the 
musive hope that my path would be destitute of the per- 
plexing thorn and the adverse blast, but upon a serious 
conviction that the providence of God harmonized with 
your request. With Paul suflfer me to declare, that I have 
been with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much 
trembling ; yet, with the same apostle, I have aspired at the 
rejoicing, the testimony of conscience, that in simplicity 
and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the 
grace of God, I might maintain my conversation m the 



DR. STAUGHTON. 71 

world, and more abundantly to you-vvard. What energy 
soever of body or of mind I could command, I have thrown 
into your service. Let the church in Second-street prosper, 
has been the importunate prayer of my heart, and the con- 
stant motive of my aims. 

••'It is our mercy, my brethren, that the Lord has sent 
us prosperity. Two churches have lately been formed 
from our body, and when the brethren and sisters are dis- 
missed, who, at our last meeting, solicited a letter, consti- 
tuting a third, will have left you, more than double the 
number the church has ever contained, from the date of 
its constitution to the commencement of our last revival, 
will remain. During my continuance, nearly three hun- 
dred have been added by baptism, and more than one hun- 
dred by letter, while the whole sum of our exclusions has 
amounted to only fifteen. The house in ^vhich we are 
now assembled has been greatly enlarged; it is elegant and 
commodious, and the debt incurred by the enlargement 
approaches its extinction. I need not, my brethren, ex- 
hort you to ascribe the honor to the Son of God alone ; you 
know the source of every blessing which a church can 
enjoy, and that neither is he that planteth any thing, neither 
he that watereth. 

" I had hoped that the relation of pastor and flock, 
which has existed between us, Vv'ould have continued till 
death dissolved it. I had reason for believing that the 
great body of the church were affectionately attached to 
my person and ministry, and I have that reason still. The 
cordial love I have witnessed, my heart has been prepared, 
with all its powers, to reciprocate. I have not received a 
kindness from any of you, whether it is indicated in words 
or actions, which my memory does not delight to cherish, 
and which my gratitude has not panted to repay. Where 
remuneration is not in my power, I will employ incapacity 



72 MEMOIROP 

as a stimulus to devotion, and pray that my God may sup- 
ply your need, according to his riches in glory by Jesus 
Christ. With us, the union of the church and its minister 
is .a voluntary one, imposed by no pontific authority. It 
originates in mutual choice, and concludes (when con- 
tinued not until death) by the intimated desires of both or 
either of the parties. Were I merely to inform my breth- 
ren that reasons exist which lead me to solicit the termi- 
nation of that union, some might coldly say, ' It is enough,' 
and present me with my dismission; but respectful love, 
ever girded for service, ever ready to explain, ever anxious 
to conciliate, cannot be withheld from uttering something 
more. I had often heard it said, that the Baptist church 
in Second-street was in the habit of distressing its minister. 
I have received such report with unwillingness. I have 
wished to regard it as the ungenerous effusion of calumny. 
Could I have supposed the representation true, I had 
reason to hope that providence might, on repentance, 
withdraw the feeble arm that would annoy a prophet at his 
altar. Besides, the large accession of converts to a church 
of Jesus frequently exterminates the wrong habits which, 
in a time of spiritual declension and darkness, are formed. 
To endeavor, by Christian forbearance and love, if possi- 
ble, to exemplify duty, or, if this were too great, to allure 
to its discharge, I determined, amid the labors of my office, 
to forget the want of a spirit of sympathy and co-operation, 
should it appear in brethren, on whose conduct a minister's 
comfort and usefulness in the Gospel ministry greatly de- 
pends. The advancement of Christ's kingdom was para- 
mount to every other consideration. I dare not say how 
far I have acted under the spirit of these resolves, but it is 
certain that, for some time past, my mind has not felt itself 
at home or happy. I have seemed to myself as an eagle, 
whose nest was stirred up, but which knew not how or 



DR. STAUGHTON. 73 

whither to fly. I offer not these observations to you, my 
brethren, in the tone of censure. I accuse no one ; my 
simple aim is to satisfy you why I withdraw myself I 
cannot express my ideas on this point better than in the 
words of Dr. Fuller, in his expository discourses : ' Many 
may be good neighbors, who could not live happy in the 
same family. Abraham and Lot could love and pray for 
one another, when there was nothing to ruffle their feel- 
ings. Paul and Barnabas could both serve the cause of 
Christ, though unhappily, through a third person, they 
could not act in close concert. In all such cases, if there 
be only an upright, pacific, and disinterested disposition, 
things will be so adjusted as to do no material injury to 
the cause of Christ. In many instances it may serve to 
promote it. In a word, where there is plenty of work to 
be done, if those who cannot continue together be disposed 
to improve their advantages, the issue may be such as shall 
cause the parties to unite in a song of praise.' 

" The intention of some of the brethren, originating en- 
tirely with themselves, to form a new church to the west- 
ward, is known to you ; you have agreed to dismiss them 
for the purpose. The prospect of success in that part of 
our growing city is certainly considerable. Provided 
zealous and harmonious exertions are employed in depend- 
ence on the blessing of the great Redeemer, much may be 
expected. Philadelphia is stretching itself yearly nearer 
to the Schuylkill ; vigorous exertions are not, I believe, at 
the present, on foot for the erection of a house by any other 
Christian society ; the citizens, I persuade myself, are will- 
ing to contribute, and, in the cause of Christ, to beg I am 
not ashamed. I am sensible that, in recedinor from the 
church, I leave behind me many, very many, whom I 
dearly love, many who are not only my brethren and sis- 
ters, but my children also in the Gospel of Jesus. I en- 



74 MEMOIR OP 

treat you, my dear friends, to bear with me, if the ideas I 
am offering press not with the same weight on your minds 
which I feel them to press on mine. Perhaps the day may 
not be distant when your sentiments will accord with my 
own. Our judgments are rarely correct, when formed 
under the sway of the impassioned emotions. Let me en- 
treat you to allow a few thoughts, I am about to offer, at 
least a little importance. Some of you, my brethren, and, 
let me add, my sisters too, (for the visit paid me by a band 
of our amiable sisters, to solicit my stay in the church, I 
shall remember, ever remember, with emotions of undis- 
sembled gratitude ;) some of you, under the influence of a 
tender respect for my comfort, have suggested difficulties 
as lying in my path, which ought to be regarded as real 
obstacles. " Report will say the new church is an English 
one.'' Ah ! my brethren, what a pity, what shame, what 
violation of Christian principles, that national discrimina- 
tion should ever be introduced into a church of Jesus ! 
For myself, I never regret that I was born in England. Its 
national policies, in many respects, I disapprove ; but it is 
a land where genius and piety have long been eminent. 
It is the land of my fathers, as is America the land of my 
children. In the birth of a human being, I recognize and 
revere the wisdom and power, the sovereignty and provi- 
dence of God. Parents, native place, and time, all were 
appointed by him. Among those who possess like pre- 
cious faith, and who embrace a common salvation, dis- 
tinctions of this nature my soul disclaims. Should they, 
at any time, attempt to insinuate themselves into the an- 
ticipated church, I trust I should be among the first to 
rebuke and destroy. Yet, should report persist to defame, 
I will only subjoin, that if souls are brought home to Jesus ; 
if righteousness, love and peace prevail among the people 
of God, the unjust reproach of a name will not weigh a 
feather. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 75 

" Some of you have feared, lest my resignation might 
appear like a rending of the church. I appeal, my breth- 
ren, to what you have seen in me, for your conviction, 
whether a rending temper and habit have by me been 
practised. My mind bears to peace as much as ever ; but 
your number is so large, that detachments for new churches 
require to be made : the dismissal of one or two hundred 
of the members would leave you, in respect of numbers, a 
great church still. To interpret actions in the best light, 
is a task which genuine charity takes pleasure in fulfilling. 
I trust this amiable, heaven-born temper you will never 
cease to cherish. Could I persuade myself that the re- 
signation of my office as your pastor would materially 
affect the prosperity of the church, I should discover em- 
barrassment of a serious cast ; but, after much close thought 
on the subject, I cannot conclude such will be the case. 
This building stands in a most eligible and central situa- 
tion. Many are attached to it, because it has been their 
resort from infancy, because of the alliances that result 
from consanguinity and friendship, and because its adjoin- 
ing tombs enclose the ashes of their dear and departed 
friends. A steady congregation is in the habit of assem- 
bling here : you are rich and able to meet the expenses 
attending on a regular supply of the pulpit, to call in the 
assistance of whatever talents you may approve, and to 
make the settlement of a future pastor easy to himself and 
to you. Aiming zealously, and in affectionate union, at 
the honor of Christ, you have reason to expect his gracious 
smiles. You have my prayer and my largest wishes for 
your spiritual increase ; may I add, you may command my 
labors too. Delicacy forbids me from a formal offer of 
service ; my sorrow would be great to stand at all in the 
way of future supplies, or of a future pastor, as it would be 
to see your pulpit destitute, or not filled to your minds. I 



76 M E M O I R O P 

had thought of mentioning my readiness to serve you twice 
on a Lord's day, for two or three months, and once every 
Lord's day, for six, nine, or twelve months, with the whole 
or part of the Wednesday evening lectures; to assist the 
church also in visiting its sick, and in attending funerals, 
during its pleasure, with a view of exhibiting how much 
the attachment of my heart to your interests continues, 
as well as for the purpose of showing to the public, that the 
Baptist society is one, and, though its pastor or churches 
may vary their stations and labors, their aims and hearts 
are united. But, as I have hinted, delicacy forbids. Yet 
I offer these suggestions, that the church may learn my 
views and disposition. 

*' The relation in which I have been standing to you, 
my beloved brethren, has been a most important one. To 
that awful tribunal I know I am hastening, where I must 
give an account of my ministry. It has been my desire to 
be pure from the blood of all. I have not shunned to de- 
clare unto you all the counsel of God. The secrets of 
each of our hearts will soon be revealed, the fountains of 
our motives will all be broken up, and then only truth will 
abide the awful test. I charge you, my beloved brethren, 
with the feelings not only of a retiring pastor, but of a 
dying man — be at peace among yourselves ; value spiritu- 
ality wherever you see it ; let the aged perform the part and 
receive the honor of fathers, and the young men be esteem- 
ed, as trained for usefulness among you, as brethren. 
Regulate your temper at your meetings by the example of 
Jesus, and let your eye be single. Bear with the frailties 
of each other ; never let the foot of indignation crush what 
the hand of tenderness should prop and sustain. Shine, 
my dear brethren, not in the armor of resentment and 
worldly policy, but in the robe of humility and love. V/hen 
the Head of the Church sends you another under-shep- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 77 

herd, stand by him, let the officers of the church be his 
bosom associates, pity his mistakes, never break his heart 
by cold neglect or unkind misrepresentations, and dare to 
testify your displeasure with such as would attempt it. Ad- 
minister to his necessities with delicacy and readiness, 
and, oh! lift up his arms by your wrestling supplication. 
I beseech you, my brethren, to follow peace with all men, 
and holiness, without which no man can see the Lord. 
Look diligently, I beseech you, lest any man fail of the 
grace of God. Contend for the faith once delivered to the 
saints ; and let the righteousness, the blood, the spirit of 
Jesus, be your hope and your glory. And now, my breth- 
ren, in the sight of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
shall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing and 
kingdom, in the spirit of love, after much desire for divine 
guidance, and in earnest hope that God may overrule the 
step for the good of the churches, and the honor of his 
blessed name, I solemnly lay down my office as your pastor, 
and ask a letter of dismission, that I may unite with the 
church which is on the point of being formed." 



8 



78 MEMOIROP 



CHAPTER IV. 

Constitution of Sansom-street church — correspondence that led to 
his connexion with them — exercises of his mind — invitation to 
the pastorship and acceptance — subsequent success — character as 
a pastor — :character of his preaching — diligence in discharge of 
his duties. 

The Sansom-street church of Philadelphia was consti- 
tuted in January, 1811, with ninety-one members. Previ- 
ously to this event, several meetings had been held for 
consultation and prayer. At a meeting convened on the 
25th of December, 1810, a committee was appointed to 
present to Dr. Staughton a letter, adopted by the brethren, 
requesting him to cast in his lot among them. Two days 
after the reception of this letter, he returned the following 
reply: 

" To the brethren and sisters, who request me to unite 
with them for the formation of a new church, from the 
First Baptist Church in Second-street, Philadelphia : 

*' My dear friends, 

" I receive your invitation with gratitude, and feel a due 
sense of the brotherly kindness which has led you to make 
the request. My mind has, on the subject, been greatly 
exercised, and, I had hoped, would have been brought to 
some decision by the present evening ; but from the new 
and various ideas that have presented themselves, from the 
importance and solemnity of the step, from a sincere de- 
sire to see distinctly the way of the Lord open before me, 
previous to any resolute course of action, and from the 
short time afforded me to meditate and mark the provi- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 79 

dences of God, I am not able to give your committee an 
immediate answer. You have, however, my best wishes 
and fervent prayers for your prosperity in the Lord. 
" I am, affectionately, yours, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON. 
December 27, 1810." 

On the evening of December 31st, 1810, he came to the 
decision to unite with these brethren. On this occasion, 
the exercises of his mind are thus expressed : 

" Resolved, solemnly, as a dying man, in thy name and 
fear, O my God, after a serious, repeated, humble consid- 
eration of the subject, in all the bearings in which a poor, 
frail creature can contemplate it, and with an earnest de- 
sire for thy direction — resolved, that, as the clearest result 
of my deliberate judgment, it is my duty, and will conduce 
to thy glory, that I unite myself with the Fourth Baptist 
Church in Philadelphia, about to be formed. 

*' My Father ! my Saviour ! my God ! thou knowest the 
heart, that in thy fear, and with much trembling, forms this 
resolution. I beseech thee, shew me thy glory ! bless my 
attempts to speak in thy name ! bless the dear church I 
leave — bless the dear church to which I am about to unite 
myself. Prepare me for every trial that this resolve, made 
in thy fear, may produce. And O, may thy glorious cause 
spread through the city. Let another church not only rise, 
but flourish. O, fill this city, fill the earth with thy glory 1 
Am,en, amen. 

WM. STAUGHTON." 

The brethren about to form the new church were dis- 
missed with great cordiality by the first church. In their 
letter of dismission, they say : '' We wish you God speed, 
in the name of the great Redeemer." 



80 MEMOIROF 

The church was regularly constituted on the 24th of 
January, 1811. At a subsequent meeting, on the fourth 
of February, they proceeded to elect Dr. Staughton their 
pastor, and to prepare a letter of invitation. A large com- 
mittee was appointed to wait upon him and present the 
communication. The letter, with its reply, is subjoined : 

''February 4dh, 1811. 
" The newly constituted church of Christ Jesus, in Phil- 
adelphia, present to their beloved brother, the Rev. 
William Staughton, D. D. love in the Lord Jesus. 

'' Dear Brother, 

" You are well acquainted with the circumstances which 
have given rise to us as a body, and have gratified our sin- 
cerest and ardent desires, by becoming constituted with 
us. It is our ardent wish, as a church of Christ, and we 
do hereby present the call, that you accept immediately 
the pastorship over us. We can say, with truth, and thank- 
fulness to the Supreme Head of the church, that we have 
found your ministerial services blessed to our souls, while 
you and we stood connected in the first Baptist church in 
our city ; and we hope we may find them to increase, in 
producing pleasure and profit. We are sensible, beloved 
brother, that the afflictions and trials of a Gospel minister 
and faithful pastor are very great ; but we know that He 
who has supported you hitherto, will continue to do so unto 
the end. Our prayers shall never cease for your spiritual 
welfare, and we trust we shall never be found wanting in 
those expressions of brotherly kindness and respectful at- 
tention to your comfort and peace, which we know it is 
the duty of a church towards its pastor ever to discover. 

" In casting in your lot with us, you have had, dear 
brother, your sacrifices to make ; but if the friendship of 
some may have become cool, we hope ours towards you 



DR. STAUGHTON. 81 

will be found proportionably stronger. You have volunta- 
rily given up a certain salary, a comfortable house of wor- 
ship, and a high degree of reputation in your late con- 
nexion ; but we believe the end will prove that the ad- 
vancement of the honor of Christ Jesus was amono; the 
first aims of your heart. 

" As to a salary, we are sensible, dear brother, that 
Christ has ordained that they who preach the Gospel should 
live of the Gospel, and that they who serve at the altar 
should eat of the altar, that the ox which treadeth out the 
corn is not to be muzzled, and that they who sow spiritual, 
ought at least to reap carnal things ; but we have not, as 
yet, been able to say what we shall be able to succeed in 
supplying you. We are, however, so confident of public 
and growing support, and so resolved on your comfort, that 
we pledge ourselves you shall prove no sufferer. Our 
arrangements for supplying your wants shall be made as 
early and as agreeable to your feelings as possible. When 
we have become more established and increased, you will 
not want proofs that your accommodation will increase 
with our ability. We are hoping that the Lord is about to 
make you again an honored instrument of raising another 
house to his glory. We engage in the Lord Jesus with 
cheerfulness to become fellow-workers with you, and have 
no doubt but that your praise in the churches, already 
great, will be increased, rather than diminished, by the 
steps you have taken. 

'' Accept, beloved brother, our cordial wishes, and may 
the Lord hear our fervent prayers that every blessing may 
attend you and yours, through time and eternity. 
*' Signed in behalf of the church, 

W. H. RICHARDS, Cleric^ 

8* 



82 MEMOIROF 

THE REPLY. 

" To the Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, lately instituted 
in Philadelphia : 

" Dearly beloved brethren, 

" I have received, with a grateful sense of your kind- 
ness and affection, the call which you sent me by a com- 
mittee of the brethren, to take the pastoral charge over 
you in the Lord. 

" I thank you for the sentiments it expresses, and while 
I beseech you to give to the Great Head of the Church all 
the glory in every case in which you may have found my 
very imperfect labors conducive to your spiritual edifica- 
tion, I trust it will be my endeavor to speak to you none 
other Gospel than that which you have received, and to 
show that your prosperity is one of the first wishes of my 
heart. 

" I have embarked with you, dear brethren, as a fellow- 
member, hoping that our little one may become a thousand, 
and, in compliance with your request, accept the office of 
pastorship over you in the Lord. 

" As mutual candor and fair understanding among Chris- 
tian brethren is the most likely path to the preservation of 
mutual love, I feel it my duty, on this occasion, to state to 
the church a few additional ideas. 

" ] . Finding that my health is so imperfect, that regu- 
larly to preach three times on a Lord's day is not within 
the bounds of my strength, should I, at any time, fail in 
this course, certainly of laborious service, and reduce the 
times of preaching to twice each Sabbath, I expect that 
the church will not consider me as deficient in pastoral 
duties. To preach, to the utmost of my abilities, a cruci- 
fied Saviour, is, and I trust to my last breath will be, my 
glory and joy ; but the flesh is not always strong when the 



DR. STAUGHTON. 83 

spirit is willing. On this head I cannot help expressing 
the pleasure I feel in the idea that your number contains 
two amiable and beloved fellow-laborers in the Gospel, 
whose zeal and talents are alive and acceptable, and who 
will prove, I am confident, helpers of my labors and of 
my joy. 

" 2. Health may sometimes require, and when that is 
not defective, good fellowship with distant churches, and 
the extent of a minister's usefulness, make it desirable that 
he take, occasionally, a tour from the circle of his immedi- 
ate charge, and publish Christ in other places also. Should 
I, my dear brethren, find it at any time likely to be profit- 
able that I pay a distant visit for a few days, or a few 
weeks, provided I procure suitable supplies during my ab- 
sence, it is my desire that such occasional absence should 
never be interpreted into a ground of complaint. 

" 3. I have been, for nearly twenty years, more or less 
engaged in training the youthful mind for knowledge and 
virtue. I feel the task a pleasure and a duty. Should I 
appropriate a part of my time to its discharge, while I shall 
ever consider the service as subordinate to the great duties 
of the pastoral office, I wish the church to consider it only 
another form in which I am also desiring to serve the Lord 
and my generation. 

*' And now, my dear brethren, while I solemnly accept 
the office of your pastor, and while I believe that in the 
brethren you have elected for your deacons, I shall find 
sympathizing friends and mutual counsellors for our com- 
mon good, I beg an interest in your fervent prayers, that 
the Lord may assist me to glorify his blessed name among 
you, and that you may be built and multiplied greatly. 
And O, may we at last be found members of the church 
triumphant, where the office of pastor and the existence of 



84 M E M O I R O F 

individual churches shall be lost in the fulness of Him that 
fiUeth all in all. 

'^ I am your affectionate brother, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

After he became their pastor, the church worshipped, 
for some time, in the court-house on Chestnut-street, and 
afterwards in the academy on Fourth-street, where they 
continued until their removal to the new edifice. 

Very shortly after the organization of the church, a lot 
was procured for the purpose of erecting thereon a place 
of worship, and a committee appointed to obtain subscrip- 
tions for this object. A circular building was erected, 
ninety feet in diameter, which, with the lot, cost the sum 
of $40,000. Large as this amount was, the probability 
is, that it would have been obtained, had not adverse cir- 
cumstances occurred, producing great commercial dis- 
tress. The annual revenue, arising from pew rents and 
collections, amounted at first to between four and five 
thousand dollars. The seats of this immense building, 
during the whole period of his ministrations, were well 
filled ; but, on the Lord's day evening, the place was 
crowded with solemn and admiring spectators. His pop- 
ularity was unimpaired by time, and those who heard him 
once desired to hear him again. With this church he 
spent the happiest and most useful days of his life. The 
additions were numerous and respectable. For several 
years, it appeared one continued season of revival. To 
the people of his charge he was a faithful and affectionate 
pastor. He entered into their joys and sorrows, and offer- 
ed, in the spirit of a patriarch, his soothing counsel. Never 
could a pastor be more beloved by a people. When he 
had for a few weeks been absent, at the first evening lec- 
ture after his return, he would, as a father to his children, 



DR. STAUGHTON. 85 

give them an account of his journey, his Christian inter- 
views, and the state of religion generally in the places he 
visited, accompanied with such reflections as would tend 
to encourage and animate them in their heaven-ward 
course. In the chamber of sickness his facility of impart- 
ing consolation was remarkable and effective. On one oc- 
casion he visited a young lady, a member of his church, 
whose frame was rapidly sinking under a pulmonary at- 
tack. He entered the room immediately after she had 
been taken from a bath. Her streno^th was so far dimin- 
ished, that she scarcely appeared to be conscious of what 
was passing around her. The sound of his voice seemed 
to rouse her to life. He said to her, '' My dear child, how 
do you feel to day? " She replied, " Very weak, Doctor." 
He immediately repeated the lines, 

" When I am weak, then am I strong, 
Grace is my shield, and Christ my song." 

Had an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen her, she 
could not have been more suddenly revived. She became 
animated, and conversed freely upon the goodness and the 
grace of her Saviour. 

When this amiable young lady was nearly gone, at the 
sound of his voice, she again roused and recognized her 
beloved pastor. He asked her what the state of her mind 
was. She replied, in a faint voice, "'27s a point I long 
to know." Then, said he, "If it is a point you long to 
know, it is a point already settled," and immediately added 
those beautiful and animating lines, 

*' The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, 
I will not, I will not desert to his foes ; 
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to skake, 
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake." 

During her sickness, he proposed to her the questions, 



86 MEMOIROF 

*' Can you leave yoUr husband ? Can you leave your child, 
that child ? (pointing to the infant.) Can you leave your 
sisters, your parents?" She answered, "Yes, Doctor, all, 
all" " Then," he replied, '' All is well" 

Those to whose families he was called, in the hour of 
disease and death, have a testimony, in their own recol- 
lections, to the influence of his consolations. "When the 
ear heard him, it blessed him." He was favored, as an in- 
strument of God, to pour the oil of joy into the mourning 
breast, and to clothe, with the garment of praise, the spirit 
of heaviness. 

He was equally successful in his encouragements to 
those who were distressed on account of their sins. Every 
Saturday evening he appropriated to conversation with 
persons of this description. It was his joy to point the 
trembling sinner to Christ. He used to say his Saturday 
evening engagements were a sweet prelude to the Sabbath. 

A single example, which was related to me by a lady, 
who is now a member of the church where his principal 
labors were expended, will illustrate this remark. He had 
been stating a number of encouraging considerations to 
her mind, which seemed to produce but little effect. They 
were all adapted to the case of inquiring sinners, but she 
felt as if she had no part or lot in the matter. At length 
she said, " Ah ! Sir, mine is a peculiar case." His reply 
gave instant relief to her mind : "And Christ is ^peculiar 
Saviour : 

'■ He will bestow on Jacob's race 
Peculiar grace and glory too.' " 

To enumerate all the instances of this character would be 
to swell this memoir to an unwieldly size. 

Nor was he less distinguished for his addresses at the 
grave. It was astonishing with what facility he would lay 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 97 

hold of a striking thought, that few minds could ever have 
conceived, yet the richness and sweetness of which every 
grade of intellect could realize. This was peculiarly illus- 
trated in the manner with which he would exhibit the en- 
tire character of the deceased by a single sentence. Upon 
the death of a young lady, who was remarkable for the 
sweetness of her temper and the activity of her mental and 
physical powers, he summed up her character in the ex- 
pression, ^'Active as the roe upon the mountains, and amia^ 
hie as active." 

On another occasion, he observed, " If sincere love for 
God manifested in her daily walk — if attachment to the 
house of God, and a deep interest in the purity and happi- 
ness of his children, and a zeal sometimes almost surpass- 
ing her natural strength, are the characteristics of a true 
saint, the relics of a saint are lying before you." A youth 
in Philadelphia was suddenly deprived of life by the firing 
of a gun. The Doctor was called to attend his i^emains 
to the tomb, and to soothe the broken-hearted parents. 
Speaking at the grave of the superintending providence of 
God in all the affairs of men, he suddenly paused ; then 
elevating his hand, and in that peculiar manner which 
thousands have admired and felt, but which none have 
dared to imitate, he exclaimed, ^^ Accident ! accident! ac- 
cident ! in all the creation of God there is no such thing 
as accident." The thrilling effect which this sentence 
produced is still remembered by many who heard it. 

He was in the habit of improving every occasion on 
which a member of the church deceased, by a sermon on 
the following Lord's day evening. His selection of texts 
was peculiarly appropriate. One of his friends was de- 
prived of two children in the course of a single month. 
His text was, "If I am bereaved of my children, I am be- 
reaved," He composed for the occasion a hymn, which 



88 MEMOIROF 

is distinguished by the beauty of the poetry, as much as 
by the strain of piety which it breathes. It is styled "A 
Hymn on the death of Miss Jane Moulder." 

, "1. How swells with joy the parent's breast, 
His children round him fondly pressed ! 
Fair olive boughs, a heritage, 
To crown and comfort sinking age. 

2. But soon, alas ! his transports fly, 
The beauteous olives droop and die : 
His cries proclaim a bosom grieved, 
' Bereft of these, I am bereaved.' 

3. Yet where has every pleasure fled ? 
Nothing but dying plants are dead ; 
Dead on the earth, but doomed to rise 
In kinder soils and calmer skies. 

4. The glorious husbandman comes down. 
Claims the young olives as his own. 
And while our garden he bereaves. 
Himself a thousand blessings leaves. 

5. Soon will the hour of grief be past, 
The with'ring leaf, the roaring blast — 
Bear fruit to God, and, shortly, you 
Shall share the transplantation too." 

At the water, when candidates were about to be im- 
mersed, he was truly eloquent, and often, by a single ex- 
pression, in connexion with the appropriate action, gave to 
a passage of Scripture an illustration bright as the sun at 
noon-day. On one of these interesting seasons, he spoke 
of baptism as an emblem of death, burial and resurrection. 
Stretching forth his hand to one of the candidates, he said, 
*' I now introduce to you a dead person.'^ After a mo- 
ment's pause, with solemn emphasis, he added, "Dead — 



DR. STAUGHTON, 89 

about to be buried — to rise again and walk in newness of 
life." 

Some of his most splendid mental efforts were originated 
at the moment, and particularly when he administered to 
a large and solemn assembly the supper of the Lord. With 
what variety, with what charming effect he presented to 
view the suffering Son of God, and threw open, as it were, 
the everlasting gates to the vision of his weeping, rejoicing 
flock ! But description is vain. We recollect these sea- 
sons with gratitude to God ; our minds labor to communi- 
cate the feelings which then possessed our bosoms, but the 
swelling tide of emotions overpowers the gift of utterance, 
and silence becomes our highest praise. 

As a preacher of the everlasting Gospel, he had no 
superior. The subjects which he selected, in his public 
ministrations, exhibited the evangelic current of his thoughts 
and feelings. With the Apostle Paul, he might truly say, 
*' God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Jesus 
Christ." Rich, holy, evangelical feeling mingled with 
every discourse. The atonement of Christ, the depravity 
of man, the necessity of divine influence, the glories of the 
Mediator, all held a prominent place in his pulpit exercises. 
The cross, as the only hope of a dying world, stood out 
foremost in every exhibition. 

He never suffered trifles to keep him from fulfilling his 
appointments. Though his health was often feeble, yet, 
for fifteen years, while he was in Philadelphia, he was not 
prevented by sickness from taking his place on the Sab- 
bath day. At one time he had an attack of pleurisy, and, 
when quite ill, insisted on it, that he could occupy his 
pulpit on the comiD<^ Lord's day. He was, at that time, 
with his family, about four miles from the city. A friend 
came out in a chaise to visit him. He earnestly begged 
this friend to take him into the city. He said he did not 
9 



90 MEMOIR OP 

fear, but that the Lord would strengthen him for the ser- 
vice. His friend complied. When they had proceeded 
about half the distance, he fainted, and was obliged to be 
carried into a house. But so great was his apprehension 
that his flock would not be provided for, that, on recover- 
ing, he insisted on going forward, and actually went into 
the pulpit, and preached an instructive and impressive 
discourse. 

His preaching was a combination of doctrine, experi- 
ence, and practice, calculated to confirm believers in the 
faith, to encourage the desponding, and to rouse up the 
energies of the slothful. It was a word in season to all, 
and every Christian breast felt and enjoyed its influence. 
Though he was capable of wielding the arguments of the 
controversialist to the greatest advantage, yet controversy 
he sedulously avoided ; and, whenever it became necessary 
to exhibit his own views of truth, his candor and affection 
gained even the approbation of those who stood opposed. 
"While he was firm in maintaining the doctrine of grace, 
he was devoid of that sectarian bitterness, which has so 
often brought reproach upon the cause of Christ. In sup- 
port of this statement, the following remarks are presented 
to the reader. They occur in a sermon delivered at the 
opening of the Baptist meeting-house near Trenton, New- 
Jersey. Stating the object of opening a house of worship, 
he observed, that it meant an open avowal of the design of 
the house. He said, " We have already observed it is a 
house for God ; we, more particularly, declare it a Baptist 
meeting-house J built for a sect of Christians almost every 
where despised, and yet, almost every where increasing. 
Here not only the doctrines of grace may be expected to 
be stated and maintained, but occasionally, and it is hoped 
jjever but with respectful candor, our views of that ordi- 
n^noQ of Christ, from which our society receives its denom- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 91 

ination. But, while we publicly avow its design with rela- 
tion to the Baptist interest, we wish not to be understood, 
that this pulpit is accessible only to ministers of Christ of 
our persuasion. I know I am but adding a voice to the 
thoughts of my brother, through whose ministrations this 
house has been raised, and of the members of the church 
in general, when I give a cordial welcome to every preacher 
of Jesus to assist in his holy services. The points in 
which we differ from our Christian brethren of other de- 
nominations, compared with those in which we all agree, 
bear no greater proportion to each other, than does the 
trembling lustre of a star to the meridian blaze of the 
summer sun. While Christian ingenuousness proceeds to 
state religious sentiment with plainness and simplicity, 
Christian love looks anxiously for the moment, when 
bigotry shall expire with the flames it has kindled." 

No part of a discourse is more difficult than an appro- 
priate introduction. In this, the subject of this memoir 
was peculiarly felicitous. The following is presented as a 
specimen. It is the introduction of a sermon preached for 
the benefit of a charitable institution, from the words, 
'^ Use liospitality ;" 

*' On the revocation of the edict of Nantz, thousands of 
conscientious Christians were driven to England. Dr. 
Tillotson (afterwards Archbishop) interested himself 
greatly in obtaining relief for those amiable sufferers. 
The King granted brief s for their assistance. One of the 
prebendaries of Canterbury refused to read the briefs. 
" They are," said he, " contrary to the rubric." Tillot- 
son replied, " O Doctor, Doctor, charity is above rU' 
bricsP 

" The patriarch Job said, " I am as one that comforteth 
the mourners." The prophet David said, " When they 
were sick, my clothing was sackcloth." Paul, the apostle, 



93 MEMOIROP 

cries, *' Who is weak, and I am not weak ?" and, com- 
mending his Corinthian brethren for their attention to 
the afflicted and persecuted followers of the Saviour, 
tells them, " Ye became companions of them that 
were so used." Our divine Lord was "acquainted 
with grief," and, in all the afflictions of Israel, God was 
afflicted. 

" Where is the heart that does not admire these exam- 
ples of compassion to the children of sorrow? and where is 
the man who does not wish to imitate them ? We are 
about to recommend an active and sympathizing charity, 
my brethren, to you this evening. We wish to convince 
your judgment of the duty, and to animate your passions to 
its discharge." 

His selection of texts was always striking, and, on par- 
ticular occasions, peculiarly appropriate. On the death of 
his nephew, Sutton Wythe, he preached from the passage, 
" Behold there was a dead man carried out, the only son of 
his mother, and she was a widov/." The words were an 
exact representation of the fact. The funeral sermon 
which he preached before Congress, on the death of Ad- 
ams and Jefferson, was founded on the words of David : 
" Lovely and pleasant in their lives — in their deatli they 
were not divided : they were swifler than eagles, they were 
stronoer than lions." 

His discourses were always characterized by great sim- 
plicity. The most unlearned could comprehend his views, 
while, at the same time, the richest intellect was enlight- 
ened by his developments of divine truths. Much of the 
power which he maintained over his hearers, was unques- 
tionably owing to his voice and action ; but it is also true, 
that very considerable effect was produced by the elo- 
quence of thought for which he was distinguished, and by 
the lucid manner in which his subjects were presented to 



DR. STAUGHTON. 93 

the mind of the hearer. Hundreds are still living, who 
recollect his splendid division and treatment of the pas- 
sage, " We have not followed cunningly devised fables," 
&c. (2 Peter 1 : 16.) The division was simple and 
striking. 

I. The subject ; and, 

II. The truth of the apostolic message. 

In the illustration of the second general division, — that 
is, the truth of the message, — two inquiries were propos- 
ed :— 

1. What are meant by cunningly-devised fables? 

2. What are the proofs that these have not been fol- 
lowed 1 

The proofs, under the second question, will long be re- 
membered. 

1. Fables are destitute of chronological dates. 

2. They are exhibited without any evidence that they 
ever occurred, 

3. They were contrived for amusement, not for convic- 
tion. 

4. Fables are replete with contradictions and absurdi- 
ties. 

5. The fabulists of Greece and Rome confirm their fic- 
tions by the performance of no miracles. 

6. Ancient fables, however finely conceived or exquis- 
itely described, were usually limited to the nation that 
adopted them. 

7. The general tendency of ancient fable is to corrupt 
the heart. 

8. Heathen fable oifers no comfort amid the sorrows of 
life. 

9. The tendency of Christianity, wherever it spreads, is 
to oppose and overthrow the fables of the heathen. 

The most plain and convincing evidences of the truth 
9* 



94 MEMOIROP 

of the Christian religion were brought to view, in the 
course of the sermon, with admirable skill and effect. 

Topical preaching is very common, at the present day. 
A subject is sought, and fully prepared, and a passage of 
scripture is placed at the head, to serve as a motto. Any 
man can preach in this style, especially with the aid of 
some good works on Theology, but the beauties of the 
sacred page are often, if not usually, lost by this method. 
The Bible need not even be read, much less studied. Very 
different was the plan of the distinguished individual, to 
whose life these pages relate. He usually drew his mate- 
rials from the text, and the immediate connexion. And 
here he proved himself " mighty in the scriptures, ^^ while, 
at the same time, he preserved that unity of composition 
which is considered essential to the perfection of a dis- 
course. This plan was the result of much thought and 
observation, and arose out of the intense desire which he 
felt to make himself useful to the souls of men. 

His views of doctrine were those which are called Cal- 
vinistic. To his last moments, he loved and taught the 
sovereignty of God, in the salvation of sinners. The sub- 
stitution of Christ in the place of those whom God had 
given him, maintained a prominent place in his ministra- 
tions. He was particular in the examination of candidates 
for the ordinance of baptism ; and, towards the close of 
his life, I have heard him frequently express his fears, as to 
the methods employed by many to induce persons to join 
churches. His soul seemed to abhor the idea of prevailing 
upon men, at public meetings, to commit themselves by a 
show of being on the Lord's side, under the excitement of 
momentary feeling. No one could have been more earn- 
estly solicitous than he was for the conversion of sinners. 
His addresses to them were close and powerful appeals ; 
nor did he fear to rob God of his glory, by calling upon 
men to repent. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 95 

Throughout his ministerial career, he felt a deep attach- 
ment to young persons, and an intense desire for their sal- 
vation. His annual sermons to youth will live in the 
recollection of multitudes, through time and eternity. His 
addresses to them, on these occasions, were marked with 
peculiar solemnity and fervor. It is greatly to be regretted 
that these efforts of his genius and piety were not com- 
mitted to paper, for the use of generations succeeding. 
The interest which he felt in these annual exercises is 
very forcibly described in a letter to his son, written from 
Virginia, in the year 1825. 

*' This is the first Lord's day in which, for nineteen suc- 
cessive years, I have not delivered a new year's sermon to 
crowded assemblies, with a view to the welfare of youth. 
I very sensibly feel the change created by my present cir- 
cumstances. It is not my duty to complain. Providence, 
I believe, has changed my sphere of action, and submission 
to its dictates is my duty." 

During his ministry in Philadelphia, a considerable num- 
ber of young men were raised up, by the power of God, 
through his instrumentality, to the honor of preaching the 
gospel of Christ. He was careful to observe the expanding 
intellectual energies of those whom the Lord had placed 
under his charge, and by public exhortation, as well as by 
private conversation, to encourage them to the exercise of 
their talents. 



96 MEMOIROF 



CHAPTER V. 

Character of his preaching, continued. 

His elocution was of the highest order. His sermons 
were always impressive, and his command of the attention 
of his audience almost unbounded. Though it is impossi- 
ble in any description to do justice to his style and manner, 
yet it would be doing manifest injustice to his character, 
not to furnish some specimens of his pulpit efforts. These 
however must of necessity be deficient, as many of them 
depend mainly upon the integrity of memory. 

On the passage, " We all beholding, as in a glass, the 
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from 
glory to glory," he observed, "Glory is the manifestation 
of holiness, the exhibition of the character of God. This 
glory, as seen under the Old Testament dispensation, the 
Israelites alone were permitted to view ; for though when, 
Jehovah appeared upon Mount Sinai, it is possible that 
Egypt, Edom, and Moab, heard the distant thunder, saw 
the lowering smoke, and felt the quaking of the earth 
beneath them, when the mountains 'skipped like rams, 
and the hills like young lambs at the presence of the Lord,' 
yet Israel alone enjoyed the vision. But we all now behold 
the glory of the Lord as in a glass. When looking with 
the naked eye at an eclipse, all is obscurity ; but through a 
well tempered glass, we can observe with delight its pro^ 
gress. So without the glass of the gospel, the glory of our 
God would be but dimly seen ; but when looking into this 
glass, distant glories are brought near. Look, ye saints, at 
the face of your Redeemer, if you would see his glory 



DR. STAUGHTON. 97 

manifested. There is a passage in Hebrews too sublime 
for exposition, too sublime for angelic interpretation ; Jesus 
Christ ' the brightness of the Father's glory, and the ex- 
press image of his person.' Christians, you can now ob- 
serve the glory of your Redeemer on the face of your Bible 
societies, your Tract societies, your Sunday schools; but, 
delightful thought, through all eternity your capacity for 
beholding this glory will be progressive. If, my fellow- 
sinner, you w^ould see God on the earth, look for him 
among his saints." 

On the subject of redemption through the blood of Jesus 
Christ, the following passage has been furnished by the 
same hand. " Marvellous indeed was the light which 
sprang out of chaos, when God said, ' Let there be light/ 
Marvellous was the light which guided the people of Israel 
through the wilderness, but more marvellous than either, is 
the light which, through the blood of our dear Redeemer, 
is poured into the sinner's soul, which will not only be a 
burning and a shining lamp to his feet while traversing 
earth, but will light him to his heavenly home, where he 
will see his God face to face, 

' And flesh and sin no more control 
The sacred pleasures of the soul.' " 

His impressive illustration of the passage, ''Now that he 
ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into 
the lower parts of the earth," will recur to the recollection 
of many readers. " Before our Redeemer could ascend 
into glory it was necessary that he should first descend and 
dwell among men, for such was the native grandeur of his 
character he could not have been exalted without beinfic 
abased for this very purpose. But this we find is not ne- 
cessary in case of man, for he is already debased by sin, and 
in order therefore to ascend, it is not needful that he should 



98 MEMOIROF 

first descend ; his character needs only that elevation which 
the grace of God can give." 

The beauty of the sentiment that follows, is but a soli- 
tary instance amid multitudes of the delicacy of his mind. 
*' The exertions of Christians for the kingdom of Christ, 
while they are fulfilling prophecy, are with a seraphic zeal 
and fervor, emphatically hastening the day of the Lord." 

Preaching from the passage, " Then shall the king say 
to them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father, 
&c." after introducing the subject, he exclaimed, " How 
interesting a scene ! You will be there ; / shall be there. 
What can we suppose the king will say? See, he turns 
to those on his right hand ! Hark ! he speaks, ' Come, ye 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom.' How less than 
nothing are all the scenes earth has ever displayed com- 
pared with this ! ye magnificent processions ! ye royalties 
superb! we give you all to vanity, your mother, your 
highest boast. 

" In describing such glories, how feeble the language of 
mortals ! With greater success may the artist, on the can- 
vass, describe the full grandeur and resplendence of the 
setting sun, than the most creative and sacred imagination 
exhibit a thousandth part of the dignities of this day. I 
feel the importance of our subject. My heart trembles 
beneath the ponderous theme. However it is your advan- 
tage I seek, and if, while I am speaking, the Holy Spirit 
uses the subject as a means of exciting your ambition, 
your solicitude, to be prepared and raised to the right hand 
of the Majesty on high, mi/ earnest wishes, and 7/our eternal 
happiness will alike be effected." 

I have in my possession the skeleton of his sermon 
delivered at the opening of the Convention in 1823, in the 
city of Washington. The notes are short ; but, aided by 
some recollection of the discourse, I feel it a duty to pre- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 99 

sent its general features. The text was impressive and 
peculiarly adapted to the occasion. '' He thanked God 
and took courage," (Acts, 28: 15.) "The analogy that 
subsists between primitive saints and sincere christians in 
these later ages, is strong, beautiful, and instructive. 
Their consolations and sorrows, their regrets and anticipa- 
tions, their apprehensions and supports, have a striking 
resemblance. While circumstances of such a nature de- 
monstrate the unvarying character of holy truth, while they 
prove that the outlines of the Christian profession are, 
through every age, the same, they invite our inquiry into 
the sources whence their sacred comforts, amid their toils 
and sorrows, were drawn, that we may learn where to seek 
and how to maintain them. 

" The apostle of the Gentiles, at the period to which our 
text alludes, was in circumstances of peculiar trial. Though 
he had done nothing worthy of death or of bonds, by the 
express confession of his adversaries, yet no means of 
securing to himself the common rights of society, seemed 
left him, except by appealing to Csesar. 

" To this measure he was the more invited, partly from 
a desire of visiting a city, that was then the capital of 
Italy, and of the world, a city in almost every respect far 
superior to the Rome of modern times. He had said, * So 
much as in me lieth, I am ready to preach the gospel to 
you that are in Rome also.' Beside this, a short time 
► before the events alluded to in the passage, in the night 
he saw the Lord standing by him, who said, * Be of good 
cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, 
so must thou also bear witness also at Rome.' 

" In consequence of his appeal it was determined that 
himself and his companion should sail thither, and Paul 
and other prisoners were delivered unto one named Julius, 
a centurion, of Augustus' band. His voyage and journey 



100 MEMOIR OF 

were attended with disasters, but they were marked with 
peculiar consolations. He was blest with the spirit of 
prophecy, with the vision of an angel, with escape from 
shipwreck, with a miraculous deliverance from a viper, 
with the protection and patronage of Jehovah upon the 
sea and the land. But that which more especially touched 
his heart was the attention, sympathy, and succors of his 
believing brethren at Tyre, (27 : 3) at Puteoli, (28 : 13, 14) 
at Appii Forum, about fifty miles from Rome, and at a 
place called Tres TahcrncB, or the Three Taverns, a little 
more than thirty miles distant from the city. Some came 
fifty, some thirty miles, to welcome, console, and encourage 
the greatest apostle that ever bore the messages of God 
to man. 

" Perhaps the heart of Paul might have sunk within him. 
He was a man of like passions with ourselves, but when he 
saw the brethren, ' he thanked God, and took courage.' 

" We raise from the passage the general idea that Chris- 
tian interviews have a tendency to excite gratitude and 
confidence. These graces and blessings, it is hoped, will 
distinguish the present Convention of the Baptist denomin- 
ation of the United States. Thankfulness to God is one 
of the noblest duties in which the mind can be engaged. 
It is a service reasonable in itself. It is a service most 
pleasant. It is a service that has a perpetual claim on our 
regard, a service of a most comprehensive character, and 
an exercise, for the most part, of a spiritual nature. Itr 
may be expressed by the song, ' Awake up my glory,' by 
the establishing of memorials, as the altar of Noah, the 
pillar of Jacob, the stone of Samuel, and the valley of 
Berachah. It may be expressed by the gestures of the 
body. Thus Abraiumi fell on his face, Daniel, ' kneeled 
upon his knees,' and the priesthood of Aaron lifted up their 
hands unto God ; but in general, thanksgiving is an exer- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 101 

cise of the heart. ' Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that 
is within me, bless his holy name.' The lofty heavens, the 
irrational creation, the saints in glory, the angels, exemplify 
and assist our anthems of praise. 

" Courage is a sacred resolution of the soul to sustain the 
sorrows, and triumph over the difficulties of our situation 
in life. It is fortitude in its active and passive forms. It 
is distinct from pusillanimity. Barak said, ' If thou wilt 
go with me, then will I go, but if thou wilt not go with 
me, I will not go.' But courage can tread the wine-press 
alone. It is distinct from temerity. The aphorism of the 
clerk at Ephesus deserves perpetual respect ; ' Ye ought to 
be quiet, and do nothing rashly.' Were I to personate this 
holy affection, I would call it a Moses entering the cham- 
bers of an oppressor, and demanding, in the name of God, 
the emancipation of the oppressed ; a David, marching 
against an uncircumsised Philistine, with a sling and a 
stone ; a Hebrew band, indifferent as to the result, though 
awed with a furnace heated seven times hotter than usual ; 
a Daniel, fearlessly descending a den of lions ; a Paul, 
troubled on every side, yet prepared to cry out, ' None of 
these things move me.' ' 

" Courage and thankfulness have a reciprocal influence 
on each other. 

" I. Thankfulness produces courage. 

"1. It makes the mind conversant with infinite power 
and goodness. Familiar with greatness, it becomes great 
itself. If the presence of the heroes of the earth, inspire 
resolution, how much more the presence of the God of 
Jacob. 

*'2. It is a sacred duty, and in common with every holy 
action, fills the mind with strength. Sin enfeebles : ' The 
wicked fleeth when no man pursueth ;' on the contrary, 
* The righteous are bold as a lion.' 
10 



102 MEMOIR OP 

" 3. It has a natural tendency to awaken and elevate all 
the powers of the soul. "O come let us sing unto the 
Lord ; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salva- 
tion." The whole of the 98th Psalm is a specimen of 
pious hilarity, when the heart is cast down, the arm is un- 
nerved ; but a thankful temper, by calling its powers into 
life, arrays them for holy action. 

'' 4. It is frequently awakened by a recollection of divine 
deliverances. David says, " Thy loving kindness is before 
mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth." Saints in 
their afflictions can say, " Is his arm shortened 1 Are his 
affections withdrawn ? He hatJi delivered, and in him we 
trust, that he will deliver still." 

'' II. Courage has an excellent effect upon thankfulness. 
It is an important exercise viewed in reference to our own 
weakness, our restless adversaries, the dishonor of cow- 
ardice in the greatest of causes, the laborious nature and 
extended field of those services which the Christian is 
called to fulfil, and the approbation of God. 

(These points were all amplified by the speaker.) Who 
but God can inspire it, who but God can sustain it ? 
Courage is a devotional temper, banishing timidity, cor- 
recting excesses, and confessing the hand of God in all. 
Its language is, ' In the name of the Lord we will set up 
our banners.' Thus when Jabin, the king of Canaan, 
with Sisera his captain, mightily oppressed the children of 
Israel for twenty years, and when by the courage of Deb- 
orah he was subdued, she uttered the voice of thanks- 
giving. ' Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, 
when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O ye 
kings ; give ear, O ye princes ; I, even I, will sing unto the 
Lord, I will sing praises unto the Lord God of Israel. So 
let all thine enemies perish, O Lord ; but let them that 
love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.' 
(Judges v. 2, 3 and 31st verse.) 



DR. 6 T A U G H T O N. 103 

" But while gratitude and confidence reciprocally act on 
each other, the intercourse of the servants of God has an 
influence in advancing both. 

" 1. What are seen but monuments of divine power and 
goodness, examples of the advance of the kingdom of the 
Lord Jesus. When the gospel was first introduced to 
Rome is unknown. Perhaps by the strangers from Rome, 
who were present at the Pentecost. Paul had written 
them an epistle before the present visit, and already were 
there saints in Caesar's household. 

" 2. The tendency of Christian interviews may also be 
seen in the communications which they present relative to 
the growth of the empire of Christ. 

"3. It is exhibited in the sympathies, which holy men 
are prepared to extend to their brethren in affliction and 
toil. 

" 4. Christian interviews have an influence in advancing 
gratitude and confidence, by the prayers which are offered 
in relation to the cause of God on the earth. 

" 5. By the counsel they are able to impart, and the de- 
liberations in which they are ready to unite. As ' Iron 
sharpeneth iron ; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of 
his friend.' 

"6. By the spirit of holy co-opetation which they are 
disposed to cherish. Man of God, thou shalt not suffer 
alone, alone thou shalt not toil in the work of the Lord. 

" United effort becomes powerful effort. United vapors 
form the clouds of heaven, the chariots of God, the source 
of all the beauty which April sheds on the vegetative 
earth. 

" United sands form the bulwarks of the ocean, and are 
employed to restrain the madness of the surges, and exe- 
cute the decisions of heaven — ' Thus far shalt thou go, 
and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.' 



104 MEMOIR OP 

*' Stars, shedding their mingled though tremulous rays, 
maintain the grandeur, the beauty, the solemnities of the 
midnight hour. 

" 7. By the paralyzing influence which such interviews 
produce on the arm of the Prince of darkness, and on the 
stratagems of earth. 

" If Satan trembles at the sight of a solitary individual, 
and cries out ' Paul I knoio,' what must be his terror, 
when the servants of God are united in holy service ? I 
seem to hear him utter the despairing language, 'Bible so- 
cieties I know, Mission societies I know, Sabbath schools 1 
know, Tract societies I know, the Baptist General Conven- 
tion I know.' 

" As to earthly opposers, look at them. At the very sight 
of the city of God, of the mountain of his holiness, of the 
palaces of Jehovah, they are troubled and haste away. 
Fear takes hold upon them, and pain as of a woman in 
travail. (Ps. xlviii. 4 — 8.) 

" 8. By the influence produced on the minds of other 
brethren, who have not yet joined the associations of those 
who have come up to the help of the L6rd. Our former 
meetings together have had a salutary effect, and this 
Convention has been steadily increasing in numbers and 
strength. 

" 9. By the blessings which the Lord usually sheds on 
Christian interviews. When the disciples walking to 
Emmaus were joined by the risen Saviour, though they 
recognized him not, and he opened to their understanding 
the Scriptures, concerning his death, their hearts burned 
within them. While the disciples were together on one 
occasion praying for Peter, the blessing of heaven richly 
descended in answer to their cries, and aided by an angel 
from heaven, the apostle Peter stood before them, having 
passed through the prison doors unobserved." 



D R, STAUGHTON. 105 

The improvement of the subject was short and forcible. 
He observed, " Let no inattention of others dispirit your 
exertions. While some ingloriously abide among the sheep- 
folds, while some abide in ships, and others in breaches, 
there remain men, who, like Zebulon and Naphtali, are 
prepared to jeopard their lives unto death in the high 
places of the field. 

" To the exercise of the duties exhibited in the text, we 
are imperiously called by the signs of the times. Others 
are meeting, of every name, to advance the interests of 
Zion ; others are blessing God in monthly meetings for 
devotion, and in the closet^ while others are holding up 
the feeble hands, and exciting the weak to active fortitude 
in the contest. 

" Let us bless God, Bible societies have become broad 
rivers and streams, bearing on their bosom the treasures of 
knowledge and holiness ; tracts are entering the r»ansions 
of the great and the cottages of the poor ; children are 
trained in Sunday schools ; Hindoos are learning the path 
to heaven ; Burmans are baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, and the presence of their emperor accessible to the 
missionaries of the cross. , 

''It is now too late to assert, that prophecies are of 
dubious import, that the time for building the Lord's house 
has not yet come, that missionary schemes are visionary, 
that to turn the heathen from their idolatries is a task 
never to be accomplished, that education is adverse to 
piety and public usefulness in the cause of God. These 
ideas have passed away, I was going to say, like the Levit- 
ical system before the establishment of the kingdom of the 
Messiah upon the earth ; but that economy, though transient, 
was an ordinance of God, these objections are the offspring 
of prejudice, apathy, or error. Christ must reign until all 
enemies are put under his feet. Ignorance shall vanish 
10* 



106 MEMOIR OP 

before the light of his path, sorrow be obliterated from the 
bosoms of men, and wars shall cease unto the ends of 
the earth. 

" The emperor of France once said, ' I live for glory. ^ 
My brethren of the Convention, we live for glory not our 
own, let that perish in the dust, but for the glory of the 
church, for the glory of God. Our song is, ' Not unto 
us, not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name be all the 
glory.' We are brethren assembled together in unity, and 
with the blessing of the Lord, our interview shall be 
precious as the ointment of Aaron, that went down to the 
skirts of his garments, invigorating as the dew of Hermon, 
that descended upon the mountains of Zion." 

The following tender and soothing passages are taken 
from a funeral sermon, preached upon the decease of 
the Rev. Samuel Jones. He was, for more than 
fifty-one years, the beloved and affectionate pastor of 
the Baptist Church at Pennebek, in the State of 
Pennsylvania. 

" In some views, it may appear of no moment where the 
mortal part is lodged, when the spirit has forsaken it ; yet 
how few are the minds that can resist, or would wish to 
resist, the tender emotions and attachments, which the 
graves of our dearest connexions awaken. Isaac and 
Ishmael may be considered as gratifying the desire of 
Abraham, when they buried him in the cave of Macphe- 
lah, where reposed the ashes of Sarah, his wife. It was 
the united voice of natural affection and faith, which Jo- 
seph heard from his dying parent ; ' bury me not, I pray 
thee, in Egypt ; but I will lie with my fathers ; and thou 
shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying 
place.' I will here only add, that the remains of your 
dear pastor, are sleeping by the side of his affectionate 
wife and children, and surrounded by the dust of such as 



DR. STAUGHTON. 107 

were once the happy people of his anxious charge. In 
the same silent ground, you are already anticipating resting- 
places for yourselves. 

" It is remarked by Dr. Fuller, on the decease of 
Abraham, that ' even in the grave, it is natural to wish to 
associate with those whom we have known and loved on 
earth, and still more in the world to come.' May not the 
gathering of a saint to his fathers involve in it the wel- 
come idea, that he has gone to mingle with the spirits of 
the just in heaven ? Many of you have beloved parents or 
children, brethren and sisters, in the flesh and in the 
Lord, already in glory. Have not your hearts been 
soothed, as you stood weeping over their clay, that in a 
little time you and they should meet again ? Indulge the 
delightful idea. Soon to their invaluable company, you, 
who fear the Lord, shall be restored. They are already 
standing on the shores of heaven, and waiting to welcome 
you to everlasting habitations. They have their Father's 
name in their foreheads, and in a little time the same 
characters shall be resplendent on yours. Wander to-day 
no longer among the tombs. Rise with me in your med- 
itations. Behold your deceased elder, among the elders 
before the throne ! See him walking in white with his 
spiritual children. He is your associate on earth no 
more ; but he has now for his companions, apostles and 
prophets, martyrs and angels. He has fought the 
good fight, and you have reason to believe is wearing the 
crown of righteousness. Instead of bedewing his grave 
with incessant tears, exult for the victory he has ob- 
tained, and press toward the mark for the prize of your 
hicrh calling." 

The closing passages are peculiarly fine. After giving 
a short statement of the dying experience of this man of 
God, he says, " On Monday, the 7th of February last, at 



108 MEMOIROP 

one o'clock in the afternoon, he closed his own eyes and 
fell asleep." 

" Then you, my dear friend, his surviving daughter, 
became fatherless. I rejoice that you have been assisted 
to sustain the shock, with a fortitude so truly Christian. 
Be thankful to the Lord, who gave you such a parent, and 
for so long a period. Lean on your father's God, and 
patiently wait the interviews of heaven. Be thankful, my 
beloved brethren, who compose this church of the Lord 
Jesus, for having been blessed with such an under-shep- 
herd. Laborious, faithful and affectionate, he inspired 
your confidence, you exercised it freely, and it never was 
abused. Copy his holy example, recollect his solemn in- 
structions, and prepare to meet him in heaven. May the 
Lord assist you in the choice of a successor. 

" I see in the assembly many of you, my aged friends, 
bitterly weeping, Methinks I hear you say, as did Beza 
of Calvin, ' Since he is gone, life has become less sweet, 
and death less bitter.' I see the youth all around me in 
tears. You are sensible he felt, he deeply felt for you. 
Consider him as bequeathing to you the sententious lines 
on the grave-stone of one of his children. Write them on 
your hearts ; 

'■ Ail who live must die ; 
All who die must live 
In endless joy or woe.' 

" May you meet your minister, in the judgment day, ' with 
joy, and not with grief 

" Forget not, my brethren, that though earthly pastors 
fall asleep, and are laid to their fathers, the great Shepherd 
continues the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." 

On one occasion, he was preaching from the words, 
*' God, be merciful to me a sinner." His soul kindled as 



DR. STAUGHTON. 109 

he proceeded, with intense ardor for the salvation of his 
assembly. He represented, in a strain of vivid and power- 
ful eloquence, the joy of the angelic hosts upon the repent- 
ance of one sinner. Had a stenographer been employed 
to write down his language, he would have paused ; his 
pen would have refused to move, and he would have been 
fixed as a statue of marble. Perfect silence reigned 
through the vast audience. There was a moment's pause, 
and it was obvious, from his countenance and his attitude, 
that his mind was preparing for some powerful and over- 
whelming flood of feeling. He proceeded : — " Shall I 
retire with the desponding reflection, that, in all this con- 
gregation, there is not one soul humbled before God? 
Shall angels prepare their wings for flight, and the voice 
of contrition be unheard ? It cannot be. I will cherish 
the hope that there is at least one sinner here, whose heart 
is melted down before the Lord, and trembling at the pros- 
pect of future retribution : that there is, even now, one 
whose agony is on the point of extorting from his lips the 
cry of the publican." Suddenly throwing up his arm, with 
a voice full, loud, and rapid, he exclaimed, " Harh !" The 
effect it is impossible to describe. His arm remained for 
a time elevated, during which the most awful stillness 
reigned, interrupted only by an apparently delicate and in- 
describable breathing, that seemed to pass over the congre- 
gation, midway in the edifice. Then, with that grace and 
energy peculiar to himself, he brought down his hand 
upon his breast, and repeated the prayer, " God, be merci- 
ful to me, a sinner J^ 

The feelings of the assembly were wrought to the 
highest point, and some time elapsed before they were 
enabled to breathe freely. The writer of this Memoir was 
so completely carried away, that he frankly concedes, he 
has ever since been at a loss to recall the exact language 



110 MEMOIR OP 

of the Doctor. His attitude, his countenance, his voice, 
it were a vain attempt to sketch. 

During the latter period of his ministry, he used glasses 
to assist his vision. Those w^ho vi^ere familiar with his 
preaching, at this period, recollect, distinctly well, that 
whenever he removed his spectacles, and laid them on the 
pulpit, it was a certain indication that some new and glow- 
ing idea was forming in his mind, which he was about to 
utter, in a strain of impassioned eloquence. 

His illustrations of truth were, emphatically, scriptural. 
In comparing scripture with scripture, and thus throwing 
light upon difficult passages, he was remarkably successful. 
His boldest images, his finest conceptions were drawn from 
the treasury of divine inspiration. His quotations were 
appropriate and convincing. 

His appeals to the consciences of men were truly pow- 
erful. When he directed their minds to the peace- 
speaking blood of Christ, and exhibited the mercy of God 
to the penitent, there was a softening, subduing influence, 
that involuntarily started the tear from the eye ; but when 
he addressed impenitent sinners in the language of warn- 
ing, Sinai seemed to tower over their heads, and cast forth 
its fearful flames : the glittering sword of divine justice 
impended : the scene of Sodom and Gomorrah, as the 
descending flames spread over these fair portions of earth, 
seemed to rise before them, and the thunder of an insulted 
God convulsed the earth. By the force of his action, the 
modulations of his voice, and the felicity of his images, he 
never failed to produce an impression that the scenes por- 
trayed were really before them. We have seen the tower 
trembling to its base, and gradually undermined, until the 
centre of gravity no longer supported, we have shuddered, 
as, with roaring crash, it fell, and, even to this day, we can 
fancy we hear its long-continued and tremendous echoes. 



DR. STAUGHTON. Ill 

We have seen the sinner suspended over an unfathoma- 
ble gulf by a feeble cord ; we have felt as though every 
power of action was paralyzed at his imminent danger, and, 
before we had recovered from the shock, we have seen the 
support suddenly parted asunder, and almost shrieked with 
agony, as we witnessed his rapid descent, his everlasting 
disappearance. 

We have been carried to the bed-side of the expiring 
saint, have heard his triumphant hallelujahs, have listened 
with intense interest to the last sigh that announced the 
separation of body and soul. We have seemed to see the 
spirit surrounded by a host of angels, and swiftly rising to 
the habitations of the redeemed. Even heaven itself 
appeared to be opened, and the holiest of all to burst upon 
our vision, as the enraptured soul entered into rest : and, 
as those holy doors closed upon him, the distant sound has 
seemed to strike upon our ear, " Salvation to Him that 
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and 
ever." 

We subjoin a testimony of his uncommon talents, the 
influence of his eloquence, and the high opinion which 
was entertained of his character, as a man and a Christian, 
from a paper published, several years since, in a neigh- 
boring city : — 

" Our city has lately been favored by a visit from this 
celebrated divine, scholar and philanthropist. The numer- 
ous crowds of the learned, polite and gay world, as well as 
of other classes, who daily assembled to hear him, speak 
his eulogium stronger than the pen. All those who have 
had the pleasure of hearing him, or who have enjoyed the 
delight of his society, will heartily acknowledge that he 
is an orator of high order and towering genius, as well as a 
gentleman of the first accomplishment. His elocution is 
nervous, attractive, and often sublime. He treats his sub- 



112 MEMOIR OF 

jects with great ability and argument, displays a vast extent 
of knowledge and research, and adorns his sermons with 
the beauties of poesy, and the imagery of nature. His 
piety is as pure as his mind is capacious, and he leads the 
hearer through the paths of rhetoric with equal pleasure 
and improvement. He affectionately invites and encour- 
ages the sinner to leave the scenes of worldly pleasure, 
and seek repose in the bosom of a merciful Saviour ; and, 
in the sound of a torrent, warns him to abandon his 
wicked pursuits. Liberal, enlightened and magnanimous, 
he feels, he prays, he entreats for all, and, like the glorious 
king of day, he enlivens, warms and influences with his 
radiance. But if he is eminent in the pulpit, he is no less 
conspicuous in the social circle : easy, unaffected and 
dignified, condescension makes him the delight of the 
parlor. 

" Possessing the vast stores of classic lore, the sacred 
page, and modern literature, he is never at a loss for sub- 
jects, abounds with anecdotes and wit, unmixed with the 
bitterness of satire, and never descending from the dignity 
of his character. The young and old, the grave and gay, 
crowd, with equal pleasure, around him, and all are anx- 
ious ' to share the good man's smile.' His modesty, 
meekness and humility are alike remarkable. In a word, 
he may rank among the highest, as a scholar, gentleman 
and Christian." 

His success in preaching sermons for the purpose of 
collecting money to aid in the benevolent objects of the 
day, was truly astonishing. Even the miser, overcome by 
his appeals, could not refuse his gift. No one can read 
the extract which follows, at the close of a sermon upon 
one of these occasions, without a perfect conviction that 
he was master of the secret springs of human sympathy, 
and could touch them at his pleasure : 



DR. STAUGHTON. 113 

" What more shall I add, my brethren, to excite your 
liberality ? Could I take you severally into some of the 
mansions of misery in our city, and show you the pallet 
where the child of want and sorrow is lying, whose former 
condition in life makes the idea of an alms-house afflicting, 
and whose distresses are cheered only by the hopes that 
spring will bring better days, and that Christian bosoms 
are not dead to sympathy ? Could I place before your 
eyes the shivering infant, the starving grandsire, the poor 
widow, forsaken, neglected, forgotten, or even the repent- 
ing, tattered profligate, I know you would melt : in spite 
of all the apologies self-love might suggest, your charity 
would abound. 

"Two boats, some time ago, were sent out from Dover 
to relieve a vessel in distress. The fury of the tempest 
overset one of them, which contained three sailors, and a 
companion sunk. The two remaining sailors were floating 
on the deep : to one of them, from the other boat, a rope 
was thrown ; but he refused it, crying out, ' Fling it to 
Tom: he is just ready to go down; I can last some time 
longer.' They did so: Tom was drawn into the boat. 
The rope was then flung to the generous tar, just in time 
to save him from drowning. Look on the boisterous sea 
of this world. You have your conflicts, we acknowledge, 
but there are some who cannot last like you. Throw out 
immediately to their assistance, or it may be too late. 
Accomplish now, what, I persuade myself, you thought of 
yesterday, during the cold and heavy snow-storm. Come, 
my brethren, discharge your duty, adorn the gospel, disap- 
point the devil, and revere a present God?" 

Who can read it, and not feel? How, then, must they 
have felt who heard it from his lips, and, from his inimita- 
ble manner, saw before them the dashing waves, the strug- 
gling sailors, the throwing out of the rope ; who heard, as 
11 



114 MEMOIR OF 

from the deep itself, the generous tar crying, 'fling it to 
Tom,^ and with trembling anxiety waited the result, as 
though they had, from the shore, witnessed the whole 
scene ? And then the storm of the preceding day, when, 
sitting by their comfortable fire-sides, and thinking of the 
sufferings of the poor, at such a season, an impression, I 
believe, almost universal at such times, and you may con- 
ceive that the whole audience were ready to fly to clothe 
the shivering infant, to feed the starving grandsire, to com- 
fort the neglected, forsaken widow, and to encourage the 
reformation of the tattered profligate. 

On occasions of this kind, the gentlemen have emptied 
their pockets, the ladies their purses : many have thrown 
in valuable gold rings, and even watches have been laid on 
the plates as they were passed round. 

The following beautiful passage is found in his 
address to General Lafayette, delivered in the chapel of 
the Columbian college, D. C. : — " You have come, Sir, 
not like ^neas, driven to a foreign shore by unpropitious 
winds ; not like Ulysses, searching an absent son ; but 
like the good old patriarch, Jacob, you have formed the 
resolution, ' I will go down and see my child, ere I die.' " 

He was frequently called in various directions, to assist 
in the constitution of new churches, and the ordination of 
ministers. His charges to the latter were always affection- 
ate, and practical, evincing the deep concern which he 
felt for the purity of the church, and the success of an 
evangelical ministry. 

His eulogium, delivered on the celebrated Dr. Rush, 
of Philadelphia, may be regarded as one of the most 
chaste productions that the English language can furnish. 
We will present to our readers a few extracts from it. His 
commencing observations, upon the subject of eulogy, are 
striking and just : 



DR. STAUGHTON. 115 

" It has been no inconsiderable part of the wisdom of 
nations, by grateful monuments, to honor the memory of 
men who have promoted the public good. The harps of 
minstrels, the chisel of the statuary, the pencil of the 
artist, the bold designs of the architect, the votes of sen- 
ates, and the eloquence of orators, have been charged 
with the sacred service. Eulogy has, doubtless, in some 
nations and instances, swelled itself into extravagance and 
crime. Divine honors were never the desert of mortals, 
and to them were never tendered, without an insult on the 
perfections of the infinite Creator. And yet statesmen 
and generals, philosophers and physicians, have been dei- 
fied, not simply in the licentious effusions of the poet, but 
by the erection of temples and altars, the imposition of 
victims, and the offering of prayers. With this folly 
Socrates himself is chargeable, who, a little before his 
dissolution, enjoined Crito to exonerate him of a vow, by 
offering a cock to ^sculapius. Egypt was the mother, 
and Greece and Rome the adopters of this irreverence to 
the Supreme. 

" The encomiast has, moreover, sometimes so degraded 
himself and his office, as to have ascribed high virtues and 
presented garlands of renown to men whose career has 
been the curse, and whose decease the relief of mankind. 
Infamy itself has sometimes audaciously bound on its 
forehead the frontlet of honor. ' Had we no other histo- 
rian of the Roman emperors,' says Mr. Addison, ' but 
those we find on their money, we should take them for the 
njost virtuous race of princes mankind were ever blessed 
with ; whereas, if we look into their lives, they appear, 
many of them, such monsters of lust and cruelty, as are 
almost a reproach to human nature. Tiberius, on his 
coins, is all mercy and moderation ; Caligula and Nero 
are the fathers of their country ; Galba, the patron of pub- 



116 MEMOIR OP 

lie liberty ; and Vitellius, the restorer of the city of Rome. 
In short, if you have a mind to see the religious Commo- 
dus, the pious Caracalla, and the devout Heliogabalus, 
you may find them in the inscription or device of their 
medals.' ' 

" The abuse of panegyric offers no argument against its 
propriety and usefulness. Encomiums may be pronounced 
without derogating from the glory of Jehovah. Counterfeit 
circulation only enhances the value of genuine coin, as 
does a mischievous empyricism the vi^orth of medical sci- 
ence. Under the inspiration of his God, David delivered 
his eulogium on the death of Jonathan and Saul. He de- 
scribes them as ' swifter than eagles and stronger than 
lions.' Who can be insensible to the generosity and deli- 
cacy of his heart, when he exclaims, ' Ye daughters of 
Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and 
other delights. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of 
the battle ! O, Jonathan, thou wast slain in high places. I 
am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan ; very pleasant 
hast thou been to me ! ' 

" The frequent acquaintance, as he drops the guileless 
tear on the grave of the amiable Rush, shall involuntarily 
cry, ' Very pleasant hast thou been to me.' 

*^ Many of the fathers of the Christian church, by their 
example, sanction attempts to display and immortalize vir- 
tuous character. The funeral orations of Eusebius on 
Constantine, of Nazianzen on Basil and Coesarius, and 
those of Ambrose on Valentinian and Theodosius, with 
others of a similar nature, the world possesses. 'Great 
men,' says Rolin, ' are the property of a republic' Admit 
they are such — a republic has a debt of gratitude to dis- 
charge. The pleasures of a good conscience, and the 
approbation of God, are paramount to all other retribution ; 
yet the citizen, whose life is consecrated to the good of a 



D R. S T A U G II T O N. 117 

community, deduces an inexpressible pleasure from the 
hope that his memory after death will be grateful to those 
whom, while living, he laboriously served. When the 
magistrates of Lampascum, the place of the residence of 
Anaximander, inquired in what way they should honor his 
name, his wish, alike modest and sentimental, was, that 
the boys might have leave to play on the anniversary of his 
decease. The mind that is dead to the veneration of pos- 
terity scarce ever deserves it. Eulogy, the meed of merit, 
is soothing to the grief of surviving relatives ; it calls into 
action the most manly affections of the heart, it gives tone 
and fire to youthful ardor, and makes us, in spite of con- 
scious incapacity and indolence, aspire to become the 
sublime we draw. Suspect me not of the temerity of at- 
tempting the full-length portrait of Dr. Rush. I offer 
only a few outlines, and give shadow but to an eye or a 
hand. The thought consoles me, that, for near half a 
century, Philadelphia has been contemplating the fair orig- 
inal." 

The passage relating to his decease and funeral is finely 
drawn : 

" The bells, with muffled tongue, tolled not the tidings 
of his death. He had forbidden them. He had seen, in 
his practice, ill effects result to his patients, from the in- 
telligence they have conveyed, and wished, as to himself, 
that testimonies of personal respect should be sacrificed to 
public good. Our friend is gone. No more shall we hear 
his luminous and oracular instructions, in the parlor circle, 
or from the Professor's chair. The eye of intelligence 
has lost its brightness. The furrowed cheek offers its 
channels no longer to the tears of sympathy. The whitened 
locks engage our reverence no more. Death has changed 
the countenance, and the meek light of wisdom it exhib- 
ited has vanished. A minister of health, no more shall 
11* 



118 MEMOIR OP 

we see him rolling through our streets, in his plain vehicle, 
the faithful African at his side. No more shall he dispel 
the gloom from the chambers of disease, hear the blessings 
of convalescents, or alleviate the struggles of expiring life. 
His loved habitation, the temples of devotion, welcome his 
footsteps no more. 

" He has lived for his country, and, in a special degree, 
citizens of Philadelphia, he has lived for you. The con- 
sciousness of your loss, and your gratitude for his toils, 
you have evinced by that general sadness which over- 
spread the city, when report announced, Dr. Rush is dead. 
From crowded windows and streets, as to the church-yard 
his remains were borne, the countenances of thousands 
had, in common with those of the long procession of di- 
vines, physicians, philosophers, merchants and tradesmen, 
but one expression. To have given utterance to the uni- 
versal feeling, you need only have exclaimed, our father, 
our friend, is no more!'' 

The following passages are offered without any remark. 
They will be felt by all who read them : 

" In the chamber of sickness, the ease and elegance of 
Dr. Rush's manners always created respect, while his un- 
affected sympathy constrained age to love him as a brother, 
and youth to rejoice in him as a parent. He had always 
at hand some soothing observations, derived from his art 
as a physician, or his piety as a saint, to cheer the bosom 
of his patient. The sufferer almost forgot his pains, not 
with the horror which removes tooth-ache, in the presence 
of a dentist, but with the pleasure which music supplies, 
while it charms away the tarantula's bite. He marked the 
origin and progress of the diseases of his country with the 
eye of an eagle, and with the reflection of a sage. The 
pestilence, a visitation which the page of inspiration sub- 
limely denominates ^ death,' with 'hell,' or the grave, in its 



DR. STAUGHTON 119 

retinue, he endeavored to follow through its dismal mean- 
ders, and has pointed you to the ministers of heaven — the 
sky, the miasm, the neglected dock, or unventilated ship, 
that produced it. When Philadelphia was stormed by this 
dread invader, he was not merely a sentinel at his post, 
but a general in his ranks. He lost sight of his personal 
exposure in his solicitude for the recovery of his suffering 
fellow-citizens. His deliberate passion for the public good, 
no derision of his remedies, no misrepresentation of his 
principles, could exterminate or diminish. He felt and 
acted to the wide extent of his capacity, as a disciple of 
that Son of Man, who came not to destroy men's lives, but 
to save them. 

*' In the chair of the Professor he appeared with pecu- 
liar advantage. His lectures exhibited a system of medi- 
cine that illumined the understanding of his pupils, and 
will, secure the investigation, perhaps the universal ap- 
plause of posterity. He decried nosology, only because 
persuaded of its mischiefs. He recommended system and 
theory in medicine, because he conceived its first princi- 
ples as really ascertained, as are those of attraction and 
gravitation, the grand discovery of Newton, in the natural 
world ; and because he saw the practice his theory sug- 
gested expeditiously and safely lessen the afflictions of de- 
pressed humanity. It would ill-become me, and certainly 
prove unavailing, to state my ideas of the system he 
taught. The world, and especially his country, have be- 
come familiar with the terms he employs. He has thrown 
open the volume of his ideas, and cheerfully left them to 
the perusal of time, who ' overthrows the illusions of 
opinion, but establishes the decisions of nature.' 

" We have seen that, in his juvenile exercises, the de- 
ceased discovered an attachment to oratory and belles 
lettres. This talent, ripened, peculiarly fitted him to be- 



120 MEMOIR OF 

come a public lecturer. He was greatly charmed with 
the eloquence of Whitfield, and has been thought, not- 
withstanding the compass of his voice was more limited, 
to have acquired, I suspect involuntarily, something of 
his emphasis and melodious tone. He always felt an in- 
terest in the sentiments he delivered. He was master of 
the stroke that could grave truth on the memory, or throw 
into vibration all the strings of the heart. His last course 
of lectures are supposed by his class to have been equal in 
animation and effect with any he ever delivered. 

" I can never forget the close of his lecture, in the spring 
of 1812. I quote merely from memory : ' And now, gen- 
tlemen,' said he, *I bid you farewell. For the first time 
this season, I have met you with reluctance. Accept my 
thanks for your respectful and orderly attention to the doc- 
trines I have taught you. Happy should I have been to 
have invited you frequently, through the winter, to my 
family. I have no doubt I should have been edified and 
pleased with your company, but domestic affliction has 
prevented me.' He would have gone on, but his counte- 
nance suddenly reddened, and the big tears fell from his 
eyes. The class recollected the trying circumstances of a 
beloved son. Again he attempted to read — he could not; 
his aged hand, raised insensibly with grief, fell heavy on 
the desk — he bowed to retire. Some of the class attempt- 
ed to express their feelings by clapping, but they were not 
able. The emotion was not to be uttered. Every youth- 
ful eye seemed to say, venerable father, ' God Almighty he 
thy supporter!^ 

'* A more powerful touch of natural, unpremeditated and 
penetrating eloquence I never witnessed. Let it be re- 
membered, that Professor Rush owed none of his eminence 
to the diminutiveness of the talents of his associates. He 
was great in the midst of greatness, In the medical de- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 121 

partment of a university, where anatomy was made familiar 
by the promptness of nomenclature, the accuracy of de- 
monstration, and the charms of physiology — where, in sur- 
gery, the lectures exhibit an informing simplicity, and the 
knife attempts with success every thing but miracles ; 
where the materia medica, botany and natural history are 
presented with the attractions which reading and judgment, 
genius and eloquence supply ; where chemistry and the 
remaining parts of a medical education are taught with 
correctness, respectability and effect. Dr. Rush maintained 
his elevation. Like a primal fixed star, amid the host of 
heaven, he shone with a lustre wholly his own. 

" It is remarked by Bishop Newton, that * all persons of 
any note and eminence bear a double character in the 
world.' This is true in relation to men distinguished in 
medicine. Fable itself intimates the thought. Medea was 
reported to have boiled men alive, because she first recom- 
mended warm bathing. 

*' The success of iEsculapius in healing disease is de- 
scribed as a crime suflBcient to have incurred the indigna- 
tion of the gods. But, dismissing fable, Herophilus, who 
first practised the anatomical knife, is called by Tertullian 
* medicus aut lanius.' Galen, on a visit to Rome, was 
stigmatized as a ' theorist and magician.' Sydenham was 
charged with murdering his patients by repeated and plen- 
tiful blood-letting, and Harvey, for discovering the circula- 
tion of the blood, lost his reputation and practice. To state 
that Dr. Rush met with opposition and persecution, is to 
place him on the roll of his great predecessors. Had he 
been less eminent or laborious, he had suffered less. 

" His troubles were counterbalanced with public tokens 
of respect. In 1793, in testimony of his important services 
during the yellow fever, the Board of Health presented him 
an elegant piece of plate, with an appropriate inscription. 



133 MEMOIR OP 

In 1805, he was addressed to answer certain queries which 
the Russian government had ordered to be made on the 
subject of yellow fever ; as a return, he received from the 
King a coronation medal. The thanks of the King of 
Spain in 1806, were tendered him for his answer to some 
queries on the subject of the same disease. In 1807, from 
the Queen of Etruria, a tribute to his talents, he received 
a gold medal. During the same year he became a member 
of the National Institute, Class of Fine Arts, at Paris, and 
the year following a member of the Society of the School 
of Physic there. In 1811, he received a diamond ring 
from the Emperor of Russia, as a compliment to his medi- 
cal character. While distinguished by these honors from 
abroad, at home he enjoyed the respect and love of thous- 
ands. 

" In the temples of yEsculapius, tablets were hung up 
recording the diseases which his skill and genius had cured. 
Look up — behold the tablet containing the cures of the 
great Philadelphia physician. ^ 

" Read the testimony of a youth : 

' ' 'Twas in the circle of the gay I stood, 

Death would have entered ! Nature pushed him back, 
Supported by a Doctor of renown : 
His point he gained.' 

" See next the record of the poet : 

' How late I shuddered on the brink of fate ! 
That time is mine, O Rush ! to thee I owe, 
Fain would I pay thee with eternity.'' 

*' Here is the gratitude of age and weakness : 

' Alive by miracle I or what is next, 

Alive by Rush ! if I am still alive, 

Who long have buried what gives life to live : 

Firmness of nerve and energy of thought.' 



DR. STAUGHTON. 123 

" Another but the record is too long. It is a 

record of nearly fifty years, and of thousands of cases ; we 
cannot go through it. The names of many of you are 
there — mine is there. 

" Above his eminence as a physician, rises his character 
as a christian. It is observed by Dr. Lardner, that Galen 
has twice mentioned the name of Christ in his Treatise on 
the Pulses ; but how oft is this venerable name mentioned, 
referred to, and magnified in the publications of Dr. Rush. 
Convinced of the truth of the scriptures, he endeavored to 
give them circulation. His defence of the use of the Bible 
as a school-book, published at a time when infidelity was 
preparing to condemn it to the flames, has been of singular 
benefit to his country. He was one of the first movers of 
the Bible Society of Philadelphia, drafted its constitution, 
and continued a vice-president until death. Aware of the 
sublime beauties recorded in the Bible, he made such judi- 
cious selections, and offered such ingenious and pious ex- 
positions as imparted to all his friends information and 
delight. His lectures acquired riches from the mines of 
inspiration, which never could have been collected from 
any other source. It is not surprising that his touches are 
found so exquisitely fine, he dipped his pencil in the colors 
of heaven. Permit me to give you an example of his 
familiar and devotional habit of illustrating the scripture. 
In Psalms 3 : 5, the prophet says, ' I laid me down and 
slept, I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.' ' I laid me 
down,^ says our expositor, ' what thousands the last night, 
from affliction, could not lie down ;' ' I slept,' what thous- 
ands have been strangers to sleep ; ' I awoke,' how many 
have slept to awake no more. I owe my safety to this, 
* thou Lord, sustained me.' I could give you many of the 
interpretations of the sacred word which I have heard him 
give, equally affecting and devout with the specimen I hav^ 



124 MEMOIROF 

adduced. The Doctor had intended, as an employment in 
life's decline, to have published a work which he meant to 
have called, if my memory be correct, ' the Medicine of the 
Bible.' He had read and was justly dissatisfied with Dr. 
Richard Mead's Medicina Sacra. He saw its tendency to 
diminish respect for the sacred volume, and lamented it. 
For his work the Doctor had made considerable prepara- 
tion; but his notes are too short for any one but himself to 
have completed. He intended to have shewn where cures 
are effected by natural means, and where miracle must be 
admitted ; and to have demonstrated how much biblical 
physic harmonizes with the most useful and correct ideas 
of modern physicians. On his death-bed he expressed his 
regret that the work must fall. The world and the church 
of God have to lament that the noble design has failed. 
Equal talents and reading for such a production will not 
easily be found. I have the happiness to present to you a 
specimen of its intended nature, from a letter with which 
the Doctor honored me, dated May 5, 1804. The follow- 
ing is an extract : 

*' New matter presses upon me every day I open the 
Bible. In reading the book of Nehemiah, a few days ago, 
I was struck with the following passage : ' Yea, forty years 
didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they 
lacked nothing ; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet 
swelled not.' Long or distant walking always produces 
more or less swelling in the feet. It was universal in the 
American army during the revolutionary war, when new 
troops were marched to the camp. Bruce tells us his feet 
were not only swelled, but ulcerated, in consequence of 
marching over the sarids of Nubia. The exemption of the 
Israelites from swelled feet, over a mountainous and often 
a stony wilderness, was, of course, as much a miracle as 
their clothes not waxing old." *'I shall trespass upon 



DR. STAUGHTON. 125 

your time," he adds, '' while I mention one more idea 
that has lately been suggested to me in reading the Old 
Testament. 

"The sight of the brazen serpent curing a disease 
brought on by the bite of a living serpent, which the former 
was made to resemble, is contrary to all the laws of asso- 
ciation which regulate the feelings of the human mind, as 
far as they relate to health and pleasure. It ought rather 
to have increased the disease it was prescribed to cure. 
Does not this suggest the influence of the cross upon the 
minds of men, to be contrary to all the natural and habit- 
ual dispositions of the human heart? What but divine 
wisdom, could have made the sight of a cross produce love, 
or a dead body produce life? No wonder this miraculous 
process for curing the moral disorders of our world, ap- 
peared to he foolishness to the wisest nation upon the face 
of the earth." 

He subjoins, ''I am encouraged to proceed in my in- 
quiries, by recollecting a speech made to me by the late 
Rev. Mr. Marshall, of this city, on his death-bed. To a 
complaint I made of the unprofitable issue of my public 
labors, he replied, 'Don't be discouraged, my dear friend, 
by the want of success in your attempts to do good. Re- 
member the Saviour of the world will say to his followers 
at the day of judgment, not well done thou successful, but 
thou FAITHFUL Servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' " 

The conclusion furnishes a happy specimen of his usual 
skill in finishing a discourse. 

" Where shall I close the detail ! His task is done. He 
has bidden us adieu. He has ascended to receive the 
blessing, even life forever more." His sons have caught 
his mantle ! 



12 



126 MEMOIR OF 

" Gentlemen, the Graduates and Students in Medicine, of 
the University of Pennsylvania : 

" I respectfully beg of you, to copy your bright exampler. 
Imitate his habits of punctuality, his suavity of manners, 
his accuracy of observation, his unvv^earied perseverance. 
He saw with Hippocrates a physician's embarrassments, 
vita hrevisars longa, occasio celeris, experimentiim lubricum, 
judicium difficile; but he has left you an example, how much 
can be effected by patient labor. Read his three essays 
addressed to gentlemen, entitled Sermons on Temperance 
and Exercise. You all loved him. May you imitate him 
in the fear of God, and in benevolence to men, that when 
you die, a grateful public may bedew your memory with 
tears, such as have been shed at your instructer's grave. 

" When the melancholy intelligence arrived, that the 
hero and father of our country was no more, I remember 
to have heard an Officer, as he dropt the honest tear, ex- 
claim, 'Well, I rejoice I have been a soldier under Wash- 
ington.' With a like sensibility methinks I hear each of 
you utter, what you will often repeat, ' I rejoice I have been 
a pupil under Rush.' " 

A very short time before the decease of Dr. Rush, he 
called upon Dr. Staughton, and observed, " my errand to 
you this morning, sir, is to say, the good you are doing in 
this city you will never know in this world, particularly 
among medical students. The influence of your preach- 
ing among this class has fallen under my observation." 
He concluded by saying, what thou art doing, "thou 
knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." 

Those who have not had an opportunity of hearing and 
feeling the power of his eloquence, and who are aware of 
the connexion which the writer of the Memoir sustains to 
his family, may be ready to conclude, that the description 
is too highly wrought, and that peculiar partiality to the 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. VZ7 

deceased may have induced the sketch ; but those who 
have participated in the rich effusions of his pulpit exhibi- 
tions will be perfectly satisfied that the description falls far 
below the truth. All who have ever heard him, are aware 
of the impossibility of committing to paper, the rich, and 
powerful strains of his eloquence. 

I have now before me a work, written by a gentleman of 
South Carolina, in which he has given a vivid, and, to a 
certain extent, an accurate sketch of the Doctor's pulpit 
eloquence. He observes : " Dr. Staughton is about the 
ordinary height of men ; very broad across the shoulders. 
He has a full expansive chest, that will always ensure him 
against the ravages of phtJiisis pulmonalis, and is rather 
thickly set than otherwise. His countenance is not uncom- 
monly expressive or peculiar. His eyes emit no ray of 
genius, and the color verges to dulness. But there is a 
grace in all his movements. Not a single gesture or atti- 
tude fails of the fullest effect. His voice is now soft as the 
balmy breath of spring ; and again its tones imitate the 
loud spirit-stirring blast of rudest winter. 

" He excels every speaker I ever heard, in the quickness 
and felicity with which he modulates the tones of his voice 
to the meaning and spirit of his words. His manner en- 
forces the idea of the author with signal success. How 
often has an audience listened to this eloquent hymn of 
Watts without emotion ; but when the Doctor's voice, re- 
peating the first line of the first verse is heard, every idle 
thought vanishes, and the stillness of death is heard around. 
' I send the joys of earth aicay.' 

Such is the effect that we seemingly behold the winged 
joys of the earth about to retire from the sight, and we 
feel a mingled sensation of satisfaction and regret : but 
when we hear him repeat, 

'Away, ye tempters of the mind,' 



128 MEMOIR OF 

the sensation of regret dissolves, and we loathe the tempters, 
lovely and beautiful as they are. Here the tone and gesture 
of the orator, imprint on the mind the idea of each laughing 
joy and fascinating pleasure being hastily expelled the sacred 
soil of the mind, vi^hich they had too long polluted. Lest 
our attachments should linger around them as harmless and 
innocent, he tells us, with a voice, like the soft stillness of 
silent waters, that they are 

^ False as the smooth deceitful sea.' 

We now deem each pleasure to be a siren, ready to seduce 
us from holiness ; when the voice of the orator in a tone 
like the sound of jarring elements, declares it to be 

^ Empty as the whistling wind.' 

Whoever has heard this hymn recited by the Doctor, will 
surely remember the eloquent action of the orator ; and if 
he fail to remember it, it is only because the pleasures of 
the mind occupy no green spot in the bowers of his memory. 

" The adaptation of the sound to the sense, with such 
exquisite skill, may, in the opinion of some good persons, 
who are, in the language of Addison, ' pious to a fault,' 
savor too strongly of theatrical action ; and consequently 
incur their partial condemnation. Of such it may be in- 
quired, what is the end of public speaking % Is it not to 
convince, to encourage, to warn, to inspire? And that 
eloquence which can convince the wavering, encourage the 
diffident, warn the rashly resolute, and inspire the good, 
with the greatest force, and with the most remarkable 
effect, the eloquence whether of action or idea, that can 
accomplish this, is the highest and most heavenly. 

" It will be inquired, does the eloquence of Doctor 
Staughton possess this irradiating power, this divine efflu- 
ence ? It undoubtedly possesses it in an eminent degree. It 



D II. S T A U G H T O N. 129 

absorbs the attention of the various gradations of an audience 
more intensely than the eloquence of any learned orator to 
whom I have listened. Although the theme of his discourse 
be elevated far above the ken of an ordinary audience, yet 
the expressive modulations of his voice, his attitudes, his 
gestures, and repeated bursts of illustrative eloquence, com- 
mand the attention and quicken the feelings of his audience. 
I once heard him deliver a sermon, the subject of which 
was a comparison instituted between the heathen mythology 
and the Christian system ; a common audience is alike 
ignorant of the philosophy of either ; yet such was his im- 
pressive action, that when he was declaiming, with great 
pathos, on the impossibility of deriving consolation for the 
wounded spirit from the pages of a heathen poet, a female 
in the gallery was overpovi^ered by the fulness of her feel- 
ings, and fell into a swoon. 

" The great excellence of the Doctor consists in the fer- 
tility of his imagination, the rich and splendid fulness of 
his periods, the classic purity of his language, a most har- 
monious voice, and the most impressive action. With 
these acquirements — for nature can bestow no such gifts, 
he has obtained a reputation for eloquence, which might 
satisfy the proudest aspirant; and which will be held in 
pleasing recollection, long after its venerable author shall 
have retired from the busy scenes of mortal existence." 

In addition to what this writer has said, I would observe, 
that Dr. Staughton rarely, if ever, wrote out a discourse, 
unless it was designed for publication. He employed notes 
generally in the pulpit, but they were very short ; and not 
unfrequently he entirely departed from the range of his 
preparation. 

His expositions of the Old Testament on Lord's day 
morning, which occupied him for many years, were among 
the most brilliant efforts of his genius. It might be sup- 
12* 



130 MEMOIR OF 

posed that every well-turned and finely polished period of 
these discourses, had been weighed in the balances of the 
closet. But this was not the fact. He had not time to 
devote to this labor. Much of the brightest drapery that 
was thrown around his thoughts, was the result of a soul 
kindling with love to God, and on fire for the salvation of 
sinners. His soul flowed out vi^ith the simplicity and ardor 
of a child. Its breathino- thoughts roiled on with unex- 
ampled majesty, and '' words that burn," yes, fresh from 
the altar of his heart, chained down, subdued, enraptured 
every mind. 

His published discourses can never furnish a test of his 
power in the pulpit ; yet, to a certain extent, the reader 
will perceive the effect they must have produced. A few 
more specimens of his printed sermons are presented to the 
attention of the public. Mr. Adams and Mr. Jefferson, 
ex-presidents, both departed this life on the same day, and 
that the jubilee of our independence. Dr. Staughton was 
requested, through a committee, appointed at town-meetings 
in the city of Washington, to deliver a funeral sermon in 
honor of the memory of those deceased patriots and states- 
men. On the sixteenth of the same month, at the capitol, 
the sermon was delivered, founded on the appropriate pas- 
sage, "Lovely and pleasant were they in their lives, in 
their deaths they were not divided ; they were swifter than 
eagles, they were stronger than lions." 

The exordium is remarkably fine, and in the best style 
of the author. 

" No ordinary circumstances have induced us to assemble 
in our capitol this morning. Death may glory in the spoils, 
which on the fourth of the present month he acquired; 
but, there is a political as well as an evangelic import in 
the triumph. 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' Twelve 
millions of our citizens have received, or are receiving, the 



DR. STAUGHTON. 131 

intelligence that two of the greatest statesmen the world 
ever knew, died both 'on the same day,' and that was the 
day on which the trumpet of our jubilee was sounding. 
This interesting fact will become incorporated with the 
history of our Union, and excite the astonishment of future 
ages. It would seem, by this unparalleled providence, as 
if Jehovah were saying to the American, as to the Hebrevi^ 
nation, ' Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year.' 

" To recommend the virtues, and propose the examples, 
of the illustrious dead, was the constant practice of the 
ancient Egyptians, of the Greeks, and of the Romans. 
The primitive fathers of the Christian church adopted the 
measure, and it appears, at an early period, to have been 
in use among the pious Jews. The passage we have read, 
as the basis of our morning's meditations, is selected from 
the first formal elegy which the volume of revelation con- 
tains. The occasion was exceedingly calamitous. 'The 
Philistines,' the hereditary and inexorable enemies of Israel, 
' fought against' them. ' The men of Israel fled from be- 
fore the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa. 
And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his 
sons ; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab and 
Melchishua, Saul's sons.' Wounded sorely by the archers, 
Saul requested his armor-bearer to slay him, but he would 
not, on which ' Saul took a sword and fell upon it.' His 
faithful armor-bearer imitated the melancholy example of 
his master, for ' he fell likewise upon his sword and died 
with him.' 

" On receiving the intelligence, in a strain of peculiar 
beauty, which no translation can fully convey, David re- 
quests that the melancholy disclosure should not be made 
in Gath or Askelon, ' lest the daughters of the Philistines 
rejoice; lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.' 
He asks, that on the degraded mountains of Gilboa, no dew 



132 MEMOIR OF 

nor rain may descend, — no fields of offering may be seen. 
He directs the daughters of Israel to weep, exclaiming 
thrice in the course of his short, but beautiful effusion, 
' How are the mighty fallen. Saul and Jonathan were 
lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they 
were not divided ; they were swifter than eagles, they were 
stronger than lions.' 

" Far different, indeed, was the dissolution of the eminent 
statesmen, whose loss we are convened, this day, to im- 
prove. They expired on their couches, surrounded with 
those gentle and solicitous attentions, which filial affection 
and faithful friendship could supply. When the chief 
magistrate of our country heard of the deep affliction of 
his beloved parent, he hastened, with all rapidity, that he 
might, like Joseph in reference to Jacob, pay the last trib- 
ute of filial affection — but, he could not command the 
chariot of the lightning, or the wing of the whirlwind. He 
arrived too late ; not indeed to receive a father's blessing, 
for that had been already bequeathed. 

" But if in nothing else, the slaughtered heroes of Israel 
and the deceased patriots of America can be found to cor- 
respond, in this they resemble each other : ' Lovely and 
pleasant were they in their lives, and in their death they 
were not divided.' " 

In exhibiting that lovely and pleasant tenor of conduct 
for which these deceased patriots were distinguished, and 
which it becomes all men, especially such as are moving 
in the higher circles of life, to maintain, some brilliant 
passages occur : 

" When man is a little elevated above his fellow-man, his 
heart too frequently becomes turgid ; he seems almost to 
have forgotten that his origin is dust, and his elevation 
vapor. But, oh, there is an unutterable charm in that 
merit, that power, that station, that influence, that noble- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 133 

ness of intellect which reverences the precept, ' mind not 
high things, but condescend to men of low estate.' I 
venerate that greatness which, while it stands like a tower- 
ing mountain on the margin of the ocean, finds its chief 
delight in the idea, that it can serve as a director to the 
mariner in distress ; that greatness which, though it shines 
like the sun, rejoices not in its own splendor, but in the 
kind influences it communicates. How much an unas- 
suming temper governed the lives of our deceased friends, 
let the easy and unceremonious hospitality of Quincy and 
Monticello testify. 

" But to impart to moral excellence its full and real 
character, we are taught, in the divine word, that 'the 
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy 
Ghost,' are indispensable. The highest motives to every 
good word and work are to be deduced from the history of 
holy men of God, and especially from the character of the 
Lord Jesus — from the offices which he sustains, and from 
the example which he has left. 

" Nothing conduces so effectually to wither the energies, 
and destroy the usefulness of man, as habits of vice. 
When the Israelites sinned against Jehovah, ' the hearts 
of the people melted, and became as water.' This idea 
is forcibly exhibited in the writings of Moses. ' Upon 
them that are left alive of you, I will send a faintness into 
their hearts in the lands of their enemies ; and the sound 
of a shaken leaf shall chase them ; and they shall flee as 
fleeing from a sword ; and they shall fall when no man pur- 
sueth.' The history of such unprincipled despots as Herod 
and Nero illustrate the fact. On the contrary, virtue pro- 
duces an intrepidity, beyond what was ever felt by the arm 
of the warrior. It is this which makes men swifter than 
eagles, stronger than lions. A heathen could say of a man, 
righteous and tenacious of honorable purposes, that not the 



134 MEMOIR OF 

ardor of citizens commanding injustice, not the features 
of a pressing tyrant, can affect him. Were the world, 
shattered into pieces, to fall, its fragments would strike 
him undismayed. The volume of inspiration abounds with 
examples of this moral courage. Moses led out the op- 
pressed Israelites from Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the 
King. To the request offered to Nehemiah to secrete him- 
self from the plots of his adversaries, he replied, ' Should 
such a man as I flee, and who is there that being as I am, 
would go into the temple to save his life 1 I will not go in.' 
* In the Lord,' said David, ' put I my trust ; how say ye to 
my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain.' 

" Instead of confirming this sentiment by selections from 
ancient history, I will refer you to one circumstance in our 
own. A body of wiser and more virtuous men were never 
collected than those which composed our first Congress. 
They were raised up by Heaven for the especial purpose 
of emancipating the colonies ; but their panoply was their 
rectitude. Mailed in this, they could smile at the menaces 
of indignant royalty, — at the stratagems of disappointed 
politicians, — at the clangor of furious arms, — at the prospect 
of an opening grave. See the committee, of whom Mr. Jef- 
ferson and Mr. Adams were prominent members, present to 
their fellow-patriots the immortal instrument, which deter- 
mined the independence of these States. On every counte- 
nance sit calmness, dignity, decision, courage ; because 
every bosom is under the sway of moral pre-eminence. Look 
at the boldness of the signatures, fac-similes of which are 
spread through our Union, and through the world. If in 
one instance paralysis forbade the dash, that the love of 
country would have given, it should be remembered that 
the rock is unshaken, though the aspen tremble on its 
side." 

From the text he drew the observation, that the dissolu- 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 135 

tion of man is sometimes marked with circumstances of 
unusual interest. He observed : 

" In general, men die because of the irruptions of dis- 
ease, the special visitations of Heaven, the desolations of 
ambition, or the increase of years. Sometimes, however, 
the dissolution of man is marked with circumstances of 
peculiar interest. In some cases, death approaches with 
the slowness of vegetable decay ; in others, with the sud- 
denness of the lightning's flash. Sometimes dying is as 
excruciating as suspension on the rack ; sometimes easy as 
the softest slumbers of infancy. -But our text refers more 
peculiarly to coincidence of period. ' In their death, 
they were not divided.' The blood of the father and the 
son, on the same day, and in the same conflict, irrigated 
the same hapless mountain. Yet correspondences of this 
character are by no means uncommon. Disasters may be 
expected to be mutual, where dangers are so. But, in the 
circumstances of the decease of Mr. Jeff*erson and Mr. 
Adams, our whole na.tion discovers a concurrence, at 
which she stands astonished. She weeps, she adores — 
fain would she interpret, but she knows not how. She 
rises, and borrowing her language from the skies, exclaims, 
' Great and marvellous are thy works. Lord God Almighty ; 
just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall 
not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name,' 

'' Nations have gratified themselves in fixing on synchro- 
nous events. The Macedonians regarded it as something 
singular and impressive, that Alexander the Great should 
have been born on the very night that the magnificent 
temple of Ephesus was burned to the ground. It was the 
boast of the Grecians, that, according to the testimony of 
Herodotus, the grand victory of Salamin was achieved on 
the same day on which the tremendous army of the Car- 
thagenians, consisting of three hundred thousand men, was 



136 MEMOIR OP 

totally defeated by Gelon. The English regard the cir- 
cumstances as most impressing, that the Spanish invasion 
was frustrated in 1588, and that in 1688, the Revolution 
was eifected, and William ascended the throne ; and, also, 
that on November the 5th, the gunpowder plot was detect- 
ed, and on November the 5th this hero landed on the Brit- 
ish shores. One of their divinest bards, referring to these 
propitious occurrences, says — 

' The happy day and happy year 

Both in one new salvation meet ; 
The day that quenched the burning snare, 

The year that burnt the invading fleet.' 

" I could multiply citations of this description, but they 
are unnecessary ; and the more so, because they are not 
infrequent. But, O, what a scene presses on the vision of 
every American. Here are two great men, not great, in- 
deed, as was Washington on the embattled field ; this was 
not the element in which the God of nations had destined 
them to move ; but great, like him, in the council-chamber 
and in the Senate. Here are two great men, profound in 
learning, powerful in intellect, self-consecrated to their 
country ; the one the elegant and forceful writer, the other 
the judicious and invincible defender of our charter of In- 
dependence. Here are two great men, both elevated to the 
successive Presidency of these rising States, and both re- 
tiring into every thing that is 'lovely and pleasant' in 
private life, as the waters of the immense lakes and sub- 
lime cataract of the northern bounds of our country sink 
into the humble stream of the St. Lawrence. But they 
die — be astonished, O, earth ! they die — on the very day 
that consummated the jubilee of America's freedom ; one 
at the hour at which the Declaration of Independence was 
presented to Congress, the other at the hour at which it 



DR. STAUGHTON. 137 

was announced to the people. Search the histories of the 
world, from the days of our common progenitor to the 
present hour ; in vain will you attempt to find so surprising 
a coincidence. Thanks be to the God of mercy, he suf- 
fered not time to bear against and throw down these ven- 
erable pillars of the dome of our republic, until he had 
provided other columns to supply their absence. Possibly, 
on some minds, the fact may excite less interest than on 
my own, were I to state, that on the fourth of July, the 
observant astronomer saw two of the most beautiful planets 
in the solar round descend, nearly at the same period, into 
the western sky. 

" In the departure of these illustrious men, who discovers 
not the hand of the Lord ? They were removed, for their 
work was finished. The obstructions to their most affec- 
tionate intercourse had long vanished like the mists of the 
morning, and their decease offers a suggestion to all, who, 
amid the festivities of our annual celebrations, remember 
not their responsibilities — ' Man, in his best estate, is lighter 
than vanity.' 

" May it never be said of any of our citizens, ' The harp 
and the viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine, are in their 
feasts ; but they regard not the work of the Lord, nor the 
operation of his hands.' 

" Mr. Jefferson expressed his wish to live until the day 
of our jubilee ; his desire was granted him. Mr. Adams, 
on hearing the voice of cannon, and being informed that 
it announced the jubilee of our Independence, said, ' O, 
it is a great, a glorious day ! ' and spake no more. ' Father 
of Day,' cried a heathen sovereign, 'thou resplendent sun, 
I give thee thanks, that before I leave the world, I have 
been so happy as to see Cornelius Scipio in my dominions, 
and in my palace. I have now lived as long as I could 
desire.' With what greater propriety might our deceased 
13 



138 MEMOIR OF 

statesmen have exclaimed, ' Father of Lights, thou Giver of 
every good and perfect gift, we have lived to see the fiftieth 
year of the Independence of our Union. We leave her in 
full glory and prosperity — and as to our country, we ask 
no more.' " 

In the course of the sermon, he presented a short, judi- 
cious and comprehensive delineation of the character of 
these distinguished men. The follovi^ing is the closing 
part of the sketch of Mr. Jefferson : , 

"In 1797, he was elected Vice-President of the Union, 
and in 1801 was elected to the highest chair of magis- 
tracy, to which his country could conduct him, and from 
v/hich in 1809 he retired. Omitting a thousand circum- 
stances, which future eloquence will record, there is one, 
which, on a solemnity like the present, we cannot neglect 
to mention. Mr. Jefferson was a decided enemy to re- 
ligious intolerance — a champion for the inviolable rights 
of conscience. His correct feelings on this subject re- 
volted at the idea of the incorporation of religion with civil 
government. The practice of ancient heathen affords no 
argument in favor of a system which reduces their my- 
thology to the ground, and lays it low in the dust. Chris- 
tianity is spiritual. She has sanctions infinitely more ra- 
tional and more effective than any which human estab- 
lishments can adduce. Her voice is, 'Render to Csesar 
the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are 
God's.' The views of this master-legislator cannot be more 
fully expressed than in his own words : ' The attack on 
the establishment of a dominant religion v»'as first made by 
myself. It could be carried, at first, only by a suspension 
of salaries for one year ; by battling it again, at the next 
session, or another year, and so from year to year, until 
the public mind was ripened for the bill, for establishing 
religious freedom, which I had prepared for the revised 



DR. S T A U G ii T O N. 1 39 

code also. This was at length established permanently, 
and by the efforts chiefly of Mr. Madison, being myself in 
Europe at the time that work was brought forward.' The 
last years of the life of Mr. Jefferson were filled with pro- 
jecting a grand State university, which he hoped might 
minister blessings to the whole Union. This most prom- 
ising establishment he had the honor of seeing brought 
into full operation. At length, on the fourth of July last, 
on the venerable tree, which had afforded shade and fruit 
to thousands, descended a crentle breeze of heaven — its 
age and weakness needed no more — and it has fallen." 

The close of the sermon is the language of improvement, 
and calculated to make a deep impression upon the mind : 

" If, on the face of the earth, there exist a people under 
peculiar obligations to obey the precepts of Heaven, we are 
that people. His goodness should lead us to repentance 
for our offences, and ever influence us to do justly, to love 
mercy, and to walk humbly with him. Let temples every 
where rise in honor of his name, and let them be crowded 
with grateful, adoring, and holy worshippers. It is an 
instructive truth, asserted by the judicious Rollin, and 
attested by the whole history of our species, that nations 
have risen into a state of grandeur, or descended into ruin 
and infamy, in proportion as they have been governed by, 
or have neglected, moral principle. It is righteousness 
that exalteth a nation. It is righteousness which so finely 
harmonizes with the equality of a republic ; which sup- 
presses the rising of animosity, by instructing us, that what- 
soever we would that men should do unto us, we also do 
unto them ; it is this which spreads contentment through 
all the walks of life. It is this which inspires the mer- 
chant, the mechanic, the agriculturalist, and the man of 
science to prosecute his course with success and honor. 
What sound more charming to the ear than the voice of 



140 MEMOIROF 

the individual, high in the service of his country, who can 
stand, and, in the presence of his fellow-citizens, exclaim, 
as did the patriarch, ' I put on righteousness, and it clothed 
me. My judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was 
eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a 
father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not, I 
searched out ; and I brake the jaws of the wicked, and 
plucked the spoil out of his teeth.' But if we sin against 
Heaven, and in his sight, the sagacity and moral worth of 
no statesman can deliver us. The vessel of our common- 
wealth will be found in an eddy too powerful to escape the 
tremendous vortex. Our eagle, divested of its pinions, will 
drop to the earth. The folly of Rehoboam was the imme- 
diate cause of that disruption between Israel and Judah, 
which, like a deadly wound, refused to be healed ; but the 
real excitement is to be traced to the vices of his father, 
during the latter periods of his reign, and to the immoral 
condition of the people. Does Babylon put on the gar- 
ments of pride, of inhumanity and of impiety, a prophet is 
directed to say, ' Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty 
of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God over- 
threw Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, 
neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation — 
wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses 
shall be full of doleful creatures — her time is near to come, 
and her days shall not be prolonged.' Did Tyre abandon 
herself to avarice, voluptuousness and oppression ; is her 
sovereign heard crying, ' I am a God, I sit in the seat of 
God, in the midst of the seas ? ' Jehovah says, ' I am against 
thee, O, Tyre ! I will cause many nations to come up 
against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. I 
will send a fire on thy wall, that shall devour thy palaces. 
Thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee 
shall fall. Thou never shalt be any more.' "What pro- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 141 

cured the desolation of Jerusalem ? In the expostulation of 
the Saviour, we have an answer, ' O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 
thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are 
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy chil- 
dren together, as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings 
— and ye would not — behold, your house is left unto you 
desolate.' Rome, once the mistress of nations, while prac- 
tising the sterner virtues, was invincible ; but she fell be- 
neath the pressure of her inordinate self-valuation, her am- 
bition and her luxury. The Divine Majesty may bear, as 
he has borne, with offending nations. He may say, ' the 
iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full : ' but as assuredly 
as his throne is immutable, as that throne is established in 
righteousness^ persevering transgression will be succeeded 
by ultimate overthrow. I rank our Missionary institutions, 
our Bible societies, and our Sunday schools, among the 
bulwarks of brass which promise our safety. 

** One of the captains of Charles V. requested the favor of 
a discharge from public service. The Emperor demanded 
the reason. The thoughtful officer replied, 'There ought 
to be a pause between the tumult of life and the day of 
death.' It is said this circumstance had a powerful effect 
in inducing Charles to abandon his throne, and retire to 
a convent. That pause, we entreat you, at least, this sa- 
cred Sabbath, to make. The decease of our venerable and 
beloved friends addresses us in tones the most solemn. 
* We must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, 
which cannot be gathered up again, neither doth God re- 
spect any person.' 'Surely every man walketh in a vain 
shew, surely they are disquieted in vain.' ' Cease ye from 
man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to 
be accounted of.' ' All nations before him are as nothing, 
and they are accounted to him less than nothing, and van- 
ity.' We have all sinned, and come short of the glory 
13* 



142 MEMOIR OF 

of God. In the language of Job, we may say, * Drought 
and heat consume the snow waters ; so doth the grave 
those that have sinned.' Protracted age is no security 
against the invasions of death. Adam, the common parent 
of us all, lived nine hundred and thirty years, and yet — he 
died. Who of us can hope to surmount his ninetieth, his 
eightieth year ? Existence, so far prolonged, is the privi- 
lege of few — very few. On the bridge of human life, to 
use an illusion of Mr. Addison's elegant Vision of Mirza, 
on the bridge of human life, which we are now crossing, 
are innumerable trap-dOors, that lie concealed, through 
which the passengers drop into the tide below, and disap- 
pear. No one in this assembly is warranted to use the 
language of David to Jonathan : ' Truly, as the Lord liveth, 
and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and 
death.' There may be many steps, there may be but one : 
but since each step is the step of jeopardy, how much is it 
the wisdom and duty of every man, to be well prepared for 
the final plunge ? 

" While on earth we are permitted to continue, let us 
have our eye continually fixed on the duties of our respec- 
tive stations ; whether the niche allotted us in the temple 
of society be depressed or exalted, let us seek refuge in 
the arms of the atoning Redeemer, and, sanctified by his 
Holy Spirit, may it be ours, amid the dread catastrophe of 
a perishing universe, to find this corruptible put on incor- 
ruption ; this mortal, immortality." 

Extracts from a sermon delivered at the opening of the 
Baptist meeting-house, near Trenton, N. J., to which ref- 
erence has already been made. The text was, " Will 
God, indeed, dwell on the earth ?" After the exordium, he 
observes, — " We are met, as it is commonly termed among 
us, to open the Jiouse, by which we mean two things ; first, 
to make an explicit avowal of its design, — and, secondly, 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 143 

to put the machinery into motion. Under the second 
meaning, the Dr. says : " When Moses had completed the 
tabernacle according to the model showed him in the 
Mount, on the first day of the first month he set it up. 
Then he brought in the ark, the table and the golden 
candlestick, he fixed the altar of incense before the vail, 
the altar of burnt-offering at the door of the tabernacle, 
and the laver between the tent and the altar. Thus ar- 
ranged, every object began to be appropriated to its design. 
The prophet placed the bread on the table, he lighted the 
lamps before the Lord, he burnt sweet incense on the 
golden altar, he laid the bleeding victims on the altar of 
burnt-offering, and himself, and Aaron and his sons, 
washed their hands and their feet in the laver. Then the 
cloud descended, and the glory of the Lord filled the tab- 
ernacle. You, brethren, like Moses, have been raising 
the house and setting it in order. To-day we open it by 
beginning to offer up the incense of prayer before the 
throne, — to-day, for the first time from this pulpit, salva- 
tion through the blood of the Lamb, is proclaimed, — the 
doors have begun to be crowded with worshippers, and the 
walls to ring with hymns of thanksgiving. O, that to- 
day, in this place, sinners may be converted to God, and 
saints receive consolation and establishment. Great God 
of assemblies, bend thy heavens and come down ; here 
make the horn of David to bud, and ordain a lamp for 
thine anointed. But, ' Will God, indeed, dwell on the 
earth ! ' 

'' We adopt for ourselves the exclamation of Solomon, 
Every word is full of meaning. We scarce know where to 
rest our emphasis. Will God dwell on the earth ! It 
would create our wonder if a cherub were to display his 
burning glories among us, but this were nothing ; it were 
nothing if all the cherubim that wheel round the throne of 



144 MEMOIR OF 

light were to come from the skies, compared with the 
descent of the eternal God. For God to dwell in heaven 
does not so much excite our astonishment. It is true, in 
a certain sense, the angels are chargeable with folly, and 
the heavens are unclean in his sight ; there are, however, 
there, none dwelling in houses of clay, no filthy and 
abominable beings, who drink iniquity like water. But 
that he should dwell on the earth seems almost beyond be- 
lief. Will he indeed dwell, or shall it be only in a sense 
improper and figurative ! Will he indeed dwell, or is the 
mercy too great to be expected ! Divine condescensions 
often fill the hearts of good men with holy astonishment. 
Thus the compassion and sovereignty of Christ in mani- 
festing himself to his disciples, and not to the world, ap- 
peared marvellous. Lord, how is it ! When Israel was 
delivered from captivity, when a risen Saviour was an- 
nounced to his disciples, they were like men that dream, 
they believed not for joy. 

" The devout surprise our text expresses, leaves it im- 
plied, that it would be no ground of wonder if God would 
not make his abode with us. This idea will receive con- 
firmation on our contemplating the immensity, the lofti- 
ness, the independence, the holiness, and the sovereignty of 
God. 

^ T? "tP W tP ^ TI& 

" We have ample evidence that God will dwell with man 
in the coming of Christ into the world. ' The word was made 
flesh,' said John, ' and dwelt among us, and we beheld his 
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full 
of grace and truth.' We cannot assent to the creed of 
such as regard our Lord Jesus as a mere man, or, to that 
of those who consider him only a created being, while they 
admit he is above the highest angels. If Jesus Christ be 
not the true God and eternal life, would the Holy Spirit 



DR. ST AUGHT ON. 145 

have inspired the writers of the Bible to have recorded so 
many and such pertinent texts, which a plain understand- 
ing must accept as demonstrations of his divinity, and 
which require all the subtlety of criticism to induce a 
doubt as to their meanincj ? We are reduced to the alterna- 
tive, to acknowledge, either that Christ is a divine person, 
or, that the language of Scripture is unguarded and de- 
ceptive ; an idea which every good man will reject with 
abhorrence. God was manifest in the flesh ; for Christ is 
God. His name is Immanuel, God with us. 

" Of his dignity and his presence the heavens gave tes- 
timony. A new star traversed the sky at his incarnation, 
and at his crucifixion, for three hours, the sun was extin- 
guished. The winds and seas gave testimony, when at 
his word the furious blasts were hushed, and the rough 
surges smoothed into a great calm ; at the same word, the 
inhabitants of the waters crowded round the ship and 
filled the net of the astonished and worshipping disciples. 
The earth gave testimony : at his death and at his resur- 
rection, it trembled to its centre. Diseases gave testi- 
mony : fevers were rebuked ; issues of blood were 
stanched ; the blind saw their deliverer ; the deaf heard 
his voice ; the dumb published his character ; paralytics 
arose and followed him, and lepers, at his command, 
hastened to the priests and were healed as they travelled. 
The grave gave testimony, when Lazarus came forth in 
the garb of its dominions, and when many of the bodies of 
the saints that slept, arose. The invisible world gave tes- 
timony : devils acknowledged his divinity, and flew from 
his presence to the abodes of perdition ; angels ministered 
unto him, in the desert, the garden and the tomb. One of 
them, as if to exhibit an emblem of the virtues of the 
Saviour, often descended Bethesda and imparted to the 
waters a healing power. A multitude sang an anthem in 



146 M E M O I R O F 

the air in the hearing of the shepherds, and as our risen 
Lord ascended up to glory, they accompanied his flight 
with the sound of trumpet, and the shouts of triumph. 

" But, Oh ! my brethren, how glorious the purposes he 
came to execute. ' To finish transgression, to make an 
end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, 
and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up 
the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.' 
Daniel ix. 24. 

" God is found dwelling on the earth by his Spirit in the 

heart. 

4& # # ^ -^ ^ ^ 

"Think it not strange that God, the Spirit, should 
possess a distinct habitation in the heart of every believer. 
The same voice, like the voice of God from Mount Sinai, 
may distinctly enter a million of ears ; place before the 
sun as many mirrors as the earth could furnish, an image 
of the sun would appear in every mirror ; but, supposing 
no illustration could be derived from nature, experi- 
ence demonstrates the truth. To this test the apostle 
refers, where he says, ye are not in the flesh, but in the 
spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you ; now if any 
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 

" We have evidence that God will dwell with man upon 
the earth, in the displays of his gracious presence in his 
churches. He said to Israel, ' In all places where I 
record my name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless 
thee,' and, in language very similar, our Lord addressed 
his disciples ; ' Where two or three are gathered together 
in my name, there am I in the midst of them. I will not 
leave you comfortless, I will come unto you.' 

" David declares he has beheld the glory of Jehovah in 
his tabernacles, and, may I not add, so have we. Have 
we not seen it in the ministers of the sanctuary, when 



D K. S T A U G H T O X. 147 

engaged in solemn prayer ? How, like Moses, have they 
ascended the hill of the Lord in presence of all the people ! 
What a holy flo'.v of adoration, petitions and thanksgivings, 
have we sometimes witnessed ! Have we not seen it in the 
ministration of the word ? With what boldness and readi- 
ness of mind, with what depth of argument and persuasive 
energy, with what ardent zeal and heavenly unction, have 
we often heard his servants deliver their message ! The 
sound of their Master's feet behind them, while it revives 
the sense of their awful responsibility, gives courage to the 
heart, and inspires that eloquence in proclaiming the ter- 
rors of Sinai and the consolations of Calvary, which the 
schools could never have taught. The effects attending 
the word bespeak the presence of the Lord. It is God 
that giveth the increase. If there come in one that be- 
lieveth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced, he is 
judged, and thus are the secrets of his heart made mani- 
fest, and so falling down on his face he will worship God, 
and report that God is in you of a truth. The cry of con- 
verts when seeking access to the church and its ordinances 
is, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is 
with you. We have indications of his presence when 
Asaph 3 are instructed in the rectitude of Providence, 
when Ephraims are mourning over their backslidings, and 
v/hen Simeons, having seen the salvation of God, are long- 
ing to depart in peace from earth to heaven. 

" God will chcell in his churches, — he hath said, ' Lo I am 
with you alv/ay, even unto the end of the world.' The 
church, it is true, is in the vrilderness, and a thousand 
savage beasts of prey stand waiting to devour ; but the 
Lord is a wall of fire around her, through which they can- 
not pass. Zion is his rest forever. The malice of earth 
and hell can no more succeed in destroying the church, his 
dwelling-place below, than in demolishing the heavens, his 



148 MEMOIROF 

dwelling-place above ; and for this obvious reason, ' The 
Lord is there.' 

" There are objects in the natural world whose presence 
brings blessings with it. Wherever the broad river winds 
its course, its banks become fertile, and its contiguous 
cities seats of commerce. The appearance of the sun 
cheers the face of nature, and the possession of a shield is 
a security to the warrior against the weapons of his adver- 
sary. Under such animating figures, David sets forth the 
advantages of the divine presence in his churches. There 
is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of our 
God. The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will 
give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold 
from them that walk uprightly. His presence is like that 
of the good shepherd in the midst of his flock, or of the 
affectionate father in the midst of his happy family. 

" Does it, my brethren, from what you have heard ap- 
pear a truth, that God will dwell with man upon the earth, 
permit me to exhort you never to lose sight of his astonish- 
ing condescension. Not less in the stoops of his mercy, 
than in the sublimities of his nature, does Jehovah shine 
without a rival. Historians have dwelt on the resignation 
of Charles the Vth. the emperor of Germany, as an event 
scarcely paralleled in the annals of ages. But compared 
with the Lord's bowing the heavens, this is less than nothing. 

' In vain might lofty princes try, 
Such condescension to perform ; 
For worms were never raised so high, 
Above their meanest fellow-v/orm.' 

'' Reflections on the condescending grace of God tend 
to promote true humility. Pride is altogether unbecoming 
sinful, dependent, dying creatures. It is a crime, against 
which some of the most tremendous threatenings in the 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 149 

Scriptures direct their terrors ; and yet, alas ! how prone 
are we to cherish this ' first-born of Satan' in our bosoms. 
Would you wish to be clothed with humility, let this mind 
be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ; who, being in 
the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with 
God; but made himself of no reputation, took upon him 
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, 
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, 
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the 

cross. (Phil. 2 : 5— S.) 

******** 

" The surprise expressed in our text, arises, as we have 
shown, from the contrariety that subsists between the 
nature and condition of God and man. It must, therefore, 
be as wonderful that man should dwell with God in heaven, 
as that the Lord should dwell on the earth ; and yet, great 
as is the privilege, all the saints shall share it. These 
sanctuary services are intended to fit the soul, through the 
influences of the Holy Spirit, for approaching the heavenly 
Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, the church 
of the first-born, God the judge of all, and Jesus the Medi- 
ator of the new covenant. Our earthly sabbaths are but 
fore-tastes of a sabbath that shall never end. The neces- 
sity for distinct houses for worship shall shortly cease. 
When the beloved disciple at Patmos had a vision of the 
holy city, he saw no temple therein ; for the Lord God 
Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. In heaven 
so direct will be the displays of the divine glory, and so 
amply and immediately will the dilated faculties of the 
soul be filled from the fulness of God, as to render all aux- 
iliaries for ever unnecessary. 

" Raise your contemplations, brethren, this morning to 
that state of perfect blessedness which is before you. In 
their nature and in their source, the joys of saints in heaven 
14 



150 ' M E M O I R O F 

and saints on earth are the same ; but, in numerous cir- 
cumstances they greatly differ. When we meet in his 
sanctuary now, the assembly is a mixed one. He that 
feareth God, and he that feareth him not, sit and hear, 
and sing together ; but in the mansions above, the people 
will all be holy. Here, in their happiest moments, the 
saints find a sinful nature defiling their purest services ; 
so that the brighter their discoveries of the divine glory 
are, like Isaiah and Job, the more they deplore their un- 
cleanness and abhor themselves ; but there, not the least 
taint of moral defilement shall remain ; their hearts, as well 
as their garments, shall be without spot or wrinkle, or any 
such thing. In our present worship we assemble only with 
a few of God's people. Though the iron rod of persecution 
does not scatter us apart as it did our forefathers, and limit 
our devotions to the private parlor, or the prison-house, yet 
the conveniences of our habitations, and the requirements 
of animal life, render the congregations of the saints but 
little flocks. y^?^as keep us asunder, we cannot walk with 
God in company with Enoch ; nor join with David in the 
procession to the tabernacle ; we cannot unite with the 
apostles in their prayers in the upper room in Jerusalem, 
or accompany the strains of the martyrs who sung their 
hosannas as they embraced the stake. Place divides us 
from each other. We know that divine worship is paid to 
the Lord by thousands in Europe, and that Asia and Africa 
are laying their tribute at his feet ; but long intervening 
tracts of land and sea forbid our uniting with their assem- 
blies. Variety of religious sentiment too gives rise to dif- 
ferent congregations ; we, as yet, see through a glass dark- 
ly, and know only in part, and prophesy only in part, but 
in heaven the assembly shall consist of a number that no 
man can number. All that have loved the Saviour shall 
form one glorious band. There an Abraham and an Owen, 



DR. STAUGHTON. 151 

a Watts and a David, a Pearce and a John, a Daniel 
and a Henry ; there the Hindoo and the American, the 
European and the Negro, the Hottentot and the Green- 
lander; there the Methodist and the Episcopalian, the 
Presbyterian and the Baptist, shall, with hearts and with 
voices forever united, sing, ' Worthy is the Lamb that was 
slain.' " 

We cannot refrain from introducing one or two short 
passages from a sermon preached from the text, *' I had 
rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than 
dwell in the tents of wickedness." 

*' Remorse is never felt in consequence of attending the 
house of God. We, whom the Lord has put into the min- 
istry, have more frequent opportunities than you, in our 
visits to the chambers of sickness, of discovering the sources 
of human misery. We have often heard the wicked man 
on his death-bed, and the malefactor on his way to the 
tree, name the crime of sabbath-breaking and the neglect 
of divine worship, among the first steps they took in the 
road to perdition ; but we should be as astonished to hear 
a dying man express his regret that he had attended the 
tabernacle of God, as to hear a cherub in an agony, or a 
devil declare himself perpetually happy. Remorse origi- 
nates in sin ; to attend public worship is not to sin, but to 
discharge an important duty. None of the exercises of 
God's house have any tendency to cherish sin, they are 
designed to destroy it. Nor does waiting on God induce 
diseases on the body ; it fills no hospitals with ruined con- 
stitutions, no penitentiaries with Magdalenes ; it leads into 
no circles of destructive company, and reduces no families 
to indigence and wretchedness. On the contrary, the ser- 
vants of God derive consolation in their afflictions from the 
remembrance of their attendance in his courts; they con- 
sider the love they have felt and still feel for his sanctuary, 



152 M E M O I R O F 

as an evidence for good. David, in his troubles, drevi^ 
comfort from hence : ' I have hated the congregations of 
evil-doors, and will not sit with the wicked.' But, ' Lord, 
I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place 
where thine honor dwelleth.' Who, indeed, that considers 
aright the pain which guilt creates and the pleasures which 
the memory of piety imparts, can forbear to say, ' I had 
rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than dwell 
in the tents of wickedness.' " 

We close this chapter with an address, in the same ser- 
mon, to ungodly parents. 

" Without staying to portray the wretchedness of your 
offspring in future life, or the remorse which you will pro- 
bably feel in the hour of death, suffer me to lift up the cur- 
tain of the invisible world. I cannot but believe, that there 
are degrees in the happiness of heaven. I cannot but con- 
clude, that the joys of pious parents will be heightened, 
when they witness in glory the triumphal arrival of those 
children, whom on earth they had so often led to the sancr 
tuary, and commended to God in fervent prayer. I must 
believe, also, that there are degrees in the anguish of hell. 
The rich man feared lest his five brethren should come to 
his place of torment, because he knew their miseries would 
increase his own. The parents that are now ' drinking 
down iniquity,' are pn their way to the pit ; but O, how 
will their pains be increased, when they behold their 
children descend after them into the same hopeless regions. 
Bunyan, in his ' Progress,' brings his pilgrims to a moun- 
tain, on the side of which was an opening into hell. Mercy 
is instructed to hearken ; she hearkened, and heard one 
saying, ' Cursed be my father for holding back my feet from 
the way of life and peace.' Much of the misery of futurity 
will probably consist in reproach. Some, says Daniel, will 
awake to shame and everlasting contempt. Tormented 



DR. STAUGHTON. 153 

with the devil and his angels, how will your heart endure 
to hear the cries of your children, forever lost, ' O cruel 
father, O unfeeling mother, you never taught us the way to 
heaven ; we lisped no prayers in our childhood ; a holy 
hymn we never learned ; you never offered a petition for 
us in the closet or in the family ; the Bible you never read 
to us, nor caused us to read it ; you never led us to the 
house of God, but made a mock alike at sin and at religion. 
We saw you enter the tabernacles of transgression ; unsus- 
pectingly we followed : you handed to us the poisonous 
portion, and our corruptions relished it. We saw you draw 
iniquity with cords of vanity ; we applied our hands also 
to the rope, and as the fruit of those sins, to which you 
have been accessary, we are, by a righteous God, tormented 
in this flame y * * * i ^yi]} not enlarge. Permit 
me to appeal to you all, to-day, whether king David be not 
justifiable in asserting, he ' had rather be a door-keeper in 
the house of his God, than to dwell in the tents of wicked- 
ness.' " 

I have heard the Doctor repeat the passage from Bunyan 
in the same connexion. To form any idea of its effect it 
was necessary to be present. The voice, the attitude, the 
expression of countenance, in the orator — the language of 
the condemned sinner, as if from the depths of the pit, sent 
through the whole frame a shuddering chill, felt by every 
hearer, but by none to be described. 



14^ 



154 MEMOIR OF 



CHAPTER VI. 

His character as a public man — originator of the First Female Bible 
Society in the world — instruction of Theological students in Phil- 
adelphia — multiplicity of his labors in the benevolent institutions 
of the day — his hospitality — addresses to Theological students. 

Doctor Staughton was, in the strictest sense of the 
term, a public man. The effect which his addresses, at 
various anniversary meetings, produced, can never be 
erased from the minds of those who were favored to hear 
them. In all the benevolent institutions of the day he was 
an active, zealous and efficient laborer. To the Sunday 
School cause he contributed his influence in every form in 
which he supposed it might subserve the interests of this 
humble, but extensively useful instrumentality. His pen 
was frequently employed in recommending it to public at- 
tention. The following lines, entitled " The Sunday 
School Teacher," are worthy of insertion : 

''Hail ! day of the Lord, in thy brightness ascending ! 
The latter-day glory divinely portending ; 
The darkness and shadows have fled far away, 
The bosoms of multitudes welcome thy sway. 
I haste to the temple where thousands assemble, 
Where saints are rejoicing, where enemies tremble ; 
Thrice happy the bands of young children to see, 
And point the poor little ones. Saviour, to thee. 

" Hail ! day of suspension, from ' toiling and spinning,' 
A prize is displayed worth contesting and winning ; 
Let manhood with joy in the labor engage, 
And mingle in classes with spectacled age : 



DR. S T A U G li T O N. 155 

The bible — the bible, a life giving treasure, 
A fountain of wisdom, of virtue, of pleasure ! 
It offers a balm from life's loveliest tree, 
And points the adult and the aged to thee. 

" Talk of color no more, 'tis but skin-deep impression, 

The blessings of grace are for human possession ; 

Comprehensive, the Gospel's beneficent plan 

Contemplates the sablest complexion as man ; 

Ethiopia's sons, Ethiopia's daughters, 

Are welcomed to drink evangelical waters ! 

Since the mandate divine bids the fettered be free, 

I'll point the poor Jifrican, Saviour, to thee. 

'• See the red men diffused through our westernmost regions, 

Now pining away — once existing in legions. 

Inquiring the path to * The Father of Life,' 

All eager to terminate sorrow and strife : 

Let the tomahawk sleep, and the bow and the quiver : 

From the foot of Mount Zion effuses a river 

Can bear all offence to oblivion's sea, 

And waft the poor Indian, Saviour, to thee. 

'• How blessed the men who with heathen are toiling ! 
Though mortals may frown, the Redeemer is smiling ; 
O'er the glooms of Hindostan and shades of Rangoon 
Salvation shall shine, all refulgent and soon. 
Great Saviour ! succeed the increasing translations, 
Let the charter of grace be perused by all nations, 
And with eyes beaming transport, thy messengers see 
Converting idolaters bending to Thee." 

In the origination of the Philadelphia Bible Society, his 
efforts greatly contributed. He was, from its commence- 
ment, Recording Secretary, and afterwards one of the 
Vice-Presidents in that body ; and by his counsel, his zeal, 
and his writings, proved a valuable auxiliary in its estab- 
lishment and prosperity. He was the projector of several 
plans for its extended success. Essays were written by 
him, to recommend its claims to public attention, and sev- 



156 MEMOIR OF 

eral circulars and appeals were prepared by him. The 
last circular which he wrote was in reference to the great 
effort of that society to furnish every destitute family in 
the State of Pennsylvania with a copy of the sacred Scrip- 
tures. After stating the pecuniary embarrassments of the 
Society, the address concludes in the language — "The 
Society cannot yield to the idea, that large as the sum 
required may seem, it offers to Christian churches in the 
vicinity of their location, and to a generous public, any 
consideration really formidable. The demand has been 
created under a devout veneration for the authority which 
has said, 

" The silver is mine, and the gold is mine." 

" Aggregates from individual contribution have often been 
obtained, where the design, as to its moral influence, would 
admit of no comparison with the present. Services per- 
formed for the honor of God will never lose their reward. 
If the pleasure of doing good is to be appreciated by the 
importance of that good, in what way can a servant of 
Christ be better occupied than by sending to the destitute 
the bread of life, and the water of life ? How divine, how 
enviable that calm, which softens the dissolving hour of 
one who possesses an humble consciousness that, after 
the example of a holy prophet, he has ' served his genera- 
tion.' The Society are indeed urgent in their request; 
but they believe their importunity will be found acceptable 
to every pious and benevolent bosom, that from the pulpit, 
or otherwise, shall receive the requisite information. They 
anticipate results of the most favorable description. The 
Society would address each church, in the words of She- 
caniah to Ezra, 'Arise, for the matter belongeth unto 
thee ; we will also be with thee ; be of good courage, and 
do it.' " 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 157 

The first Female Bible Society in the world Dr. Staugh- 
ton proposed and assisted in forming. The ladies of Phil- 
adelphia enjoyed this honor, and long will they remember, 
with pleasure, the voice, the encouragements, and the in- 
fluence of their friend, now resting in the peaceful slumber 
of the grave. 

During the whole of his residence in that city, he was 
engaged in the instruction of youth. A considerable part 
of the time he had a school of young ladies under his entire 
direction. These are now scattered over a large extent of 
country, and are among the best educated females in our 
land. His mode of communicating instruction was as suc- 
cessful as his pulpit ministrations, and the moral impres- 
sion which he gave to the opening mind will be felt through 
descending families. The affection of his pupils was almost 
unbounded, yet never degenerating into the bold and in- 
trusive. While they loved him as a father, they venerated 
him as their preceptor. No man better understood the art 
of winning affection and confidence, and, at the same time, 
preserving the authority of dignity. His school was regu- 
larly opened with prayer. 

For several years he taught the higher branches in the 
celebrated school of Mrs. Rivardi, which, at that time, 
stood one of the first in the United States. It was his aim 
to make science appear in its most attractive form. He 
was in the habit of delivering lectures on different subjects. 
His lectures on Sacred History were not the least imposing. 
The young ladies, instead of shrinking from attendance, 
used to welcome the day as one of the happiest in the 
week. When the bell announced that the hour had ar- 
rived, they would spring with the sprightliness of youth, 
each anxious to get first into the presence of her beloved 
instructer. Often, while hearing the artless, simple tale of 
the Old Testament saint, would the tear bedew the youth- 



158 MEMOIROP 

ful cheek, and the first exclamation at the close would be, 
"Dr. Staughton, it is too short." One of the young ladies, 
in the ardor of her feelings, on leaving the school to return 
to her friends in the West Indies, went to him, and said, 
"Dr. Staughton, if you ever publish those lectures, send 
my papa one at any risk, for I know he would give fifty 
dollars for a copy at any time." It is much to be regretted, 
that these lectures are not to be found among his papers, 
and it is presumed they were lost with hia furniture and 
many valuable books, at sea, on their way from Washing- 
ton to Philadelphia. 

Every spring he delivered to the class a course of lec- 
tures on Botany, and took them upon repeated botanical 
excursions. Each lady, as the lectures were delivered, 
was required to draw oflf a short system in a book for the 
purpose, which might prove useful to her after she had left 
the institution. 

To assist the recollection of his pupils, he was in the 
habit of throwing together his illustrations in verse, or re- 
ferring them to similar efforts made by other hands. The 
following proofs of the rotundity of the earth, from his pen, 
have been of service to many, and may contribute to the 
information of the rising generation. Teachers, we are 
confident, will be pleased to employ them. 

" We clearly demonstrate the earth to be round, 
Since such a form fittest for motion is found ; 
The higher the eye is, the prospect's more vast, 
And a ship's hull is seen not so soon as her mast : 
Round the earth the bold mariner often has been, 
And the rest of the planets are circular seen. 
This, too, in all lunar eclipses, is shewn, 
That the shadov/ is round on the face of the moon ; 
The polar star sinks as we sail to the line, 
And canals from a level must gently decline." 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 159 

We insert, also, in this place, the names and order of 
the Old and New Testament books, having the same end 
in view, the instruction of youth. They appeared several 
years since, in the Latter Day Luminary. 

A''ames and Order of the Books of the Old Testament. 

" The great Jehovah speaks to us, 

In Genesis and Exodus, 

Leviticus, and Numbers, see, 

Followed by Deuteronomy. 

Joshua and Judges sway the land, 

Ruth gleans a sheaf with trembling hand ; 

Samuel, and numerous Kings, appear, 

Whose Chronicles we wondering hear. 

Ezra, and Nehemiah, now, 

Esther, the beauteous mourner, show ; 

Job speaks in sighs, David, in Psalms, 

The Proverbs teach to scatter alms ; 

Ecclesiastes, then, comes on, 

And the sweet Song of Solomon. 

Isaiah, Jeremiah, then, 

With Lamentations, takes his pen ; 

Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea's Ij^res, 

Swell Joel, Amos, Obadiah's — 

Next Jonah, Micah, Nahum, come, 

And lofty Habakkuk finds room ; 

While Zephaniah, Haggai, calls. 

Wrapt Zechariah builds his walls — 

And Malachi, with garments rent, 

Concludes the ancient Testament." 



Names and Order of the Books of the JVew Testament. 

" Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the life of their Lord, 

The Acts, what Apostles accomplish, record; 

Rome, Corinth, Galatia, and Ephesus, hear, 

What Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians revere. 



160 MEMOIR OF 

Timotheus, Titus, Philemon, precede 
The epistle which Hebrews must gratefully read : 
James, Peter, and John, with the short letter Jude, 
The round of divine Revelation conclude." 

At an early period of his residence in Philadelphia, he 
directed his attention to the education of young men for 
usefulness in the ministry. In the year 1812, the Baptist 
Education Society of the Middle States was organized. 
At a subsequent meeting, in the commencement of the 
year 1813, he was unanimously elected tutor. The first 
three articles of the Constitution of the Society read thus : 

"Art. 1. The Society shall be known by the name of 
the Baptist Education Society of the Middle States of 
America. 

'' Art. 2. Its avowed and explicit design is, with a 
divine blessing, the assisting of pious men in obtaining 
such literary and theological aid, as shall enable them, 
with greater ease to themselves and usefulness to the 
churches, to fulfil the duties of the Christian ministry. 

" Art. 3. Such persons only shall be considered as 
eligible to the privileges of the Society, as are regular 
members of Baptist churches, and as have been licensed 
to the ministry, and are, by the trustees of the Society, 
considered as possessing talents likely to contribute to 
ministerial usefulness." 

The Doctor received young men of the character above 
described into his family, and not only instructed them, 
but contributed, in a variety of ways, to their personal 
comfort. He did this with great cheerfulness, though at 
the sacrifice of many comforts to himself and his family. 
To his family these things are well known, but it is unne- 
cessary to detail them in this place. Mrs. Staughton, by her 
kindness and counsel, contributed much to the interests 
of the cause in which her beloved partner was engaged. 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 161 

Such was her anxiety to see the Baptist ministry placed 
upon a respectable footing, that she was willing to submit 
to any privation to promote their respectability aYid their 
happiness. The young gentlemen were treated with the 
greatest kindness, and their improvement was rapid and 
substantial. The character, theological soundness, and 
public usefulness of the students generally, who received 
their first touches from his master-hand, are his highest 
commendation. 

To say that his pupils respected him, is cold — they loved 
him as a father — and while they breathe, his memory will 
be cherished with gratitude to God, and serve to urge them 
onward in the path of virtue and usefulness. 

His counsels were well adapted to prepare them for the 
various exigencies that might occur in their ministerial 
connexions. The writer of this sketch can never forget 
the earnestness and solemnity with which he urged two 
points upon the attention of the class, while he formed one 
of its number. The first was, to pursue a condescending 
course to those brethren in the ministry who had not re- 
ceived the advantages of education. He loved them, and 
respected them for their zeal and piety, and entreated us 
never to wound their feelings by unkind allusions or indiffer- 
ent treatment. The second was, to make Christ and him 
crucified the substance of all our preaching. It pained his 
heart, to hear a discourse, however excellent as to style 
and delivery, which was not sanctified with the blood 
of the Saviour. Christ was Ms theme, the burden of all 
his pulpit exhibitions ; and to this example, with which the 
students were for a time familiar, as well as to his advice 
in the class, much of the subsequent character of their 
preaching is to be ascribed. It is a truth, which it were 
folly to controvert, that the student imperceptibly catches 
the spirit of his instructer. To place a dry, argumenta- 
15 



162 MEMOIROF 

tive, drawling moralizer at the head of a Theological In- 
stitution, is a perfect farce. It is an imposition upon the 
Christian community and the public, which cannot be too 
severely reprehended. Learning is no substitute for life. 
" Thoughts that breathe and words that burn," are the 
characteristics of a useful preacher. 

His students will never forget the tenderness and deci- 
sion with which he criticised their incipient efforts. There 
was a delicacy in the mode that removed every thought 
of murmuring, endeared him to their hearts, and acted as 
a speedy and effective cure. 

He delivered lectures to the class on a great variety of 
subjects : on the inspiration and truth of the Old and New 
Testament records, as proved by miracles, internal evi- 
dence, fulfilment of prophecies, and historical facts ; on 
the nature, interpretation, and use of prophecy ; on the 
doctrines and duties of the Christian religion ; on the min- 
isterial office, the composition of sermons, the tempers of 
mind necessary to usefulness, and pastoral duties ; on the 
interpretation of the Scriptures, including the languages 
in which they were written, ancient manuscripts, transla- 
tions, remarks on important words, the writers, the differ- 
ent dispensations ; and also on the missionary office. He 
attended faithfully to the recitations of the class in Latin, 
Greek and Hebrew, with other appropriate exercises in the 
different branches of study. 

For many years, his labors in various departments were 
truly onerous ; but he accomplished all with perfect ease, 
and without the least appearance of haste or confusion. 
In addition to his daily school, and the instruction of The- 
ological students, he met his brethren in the Board of Mis- 
sions at every meeting, and these were frequent, conduct- 
ed all the correspondence of that body, and maintained, at 
the same time, an extensive friendly communication with 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 163 

his brethren in England, and with the English Baptist Mis- 
sionaries in India. He contributed extensively to the pub- 
lications of the day, by original essays. When the Latter 
Day Luminary was commenced, its pages were considera- 
bly indebted to his pen. To insert all the valuable pieces 
of which he was the author, would be to swell this Memoir 
to an improper size. 

We cannot refrain, however, from inserting his beautiful 
and pious effusion upon the comet, which made its appear- 
ance in the year 1819. 

'• Hail, wonderful stranger ! with thousands I hail 

Thy lunar-like orb, thy illustrious trail ! 

Say, why to our ether thy course thou hast run ? 

To feed with new fires the diminishing sun ? 

Over nations in guilt to exhibit the rod ? 

Or invite to the high contemplation of God ? 

Dost thou range with the links, which, let down from the throne, 

Bind suns and their far-spreading systems in one ? 

Or, say, dost thou kindly descend to repair. 

With life-cheering virtues the regions of air ? 

Or, wait'st thou the will of yon infinite Sire, 

To shock earth to fragments, or whelm it in fire ? 

A Tycho, a Newton, may measure thy course, 

Determine thy fervors and value thy force ; 

But, alas ! to frail man 'tis not given to know, 

What fields thou hast traversed of sun-beam or snow ! 

Perhaps when releas'd from this mansion of clay, 

My soul may attend thy mysterious way. 

With holy inhabitants pass through the sky. 

And sing the loud praises of God as we fly ! 

Great Father ! thy wisdom, thy goodness, and power, 

Revealed in yon firmament, lo, I adore : 

My dearest attachments to Thee, I resign, 

Since the God of creation — of comets, is mine." 

His hospitality was proverbial. Strangers were anxious 
to cultivate his acquaintance, and though incessantly en- 
gaged, he found sufficient time to give them all a hearty 



1G4 MEMOIROF 

welcome, and a social interview. In reviewing this part 
of his life, it seems almost incredible that such varied and 
laborious exercises should have been sustained by one man. 
His addresses to the theological students, at the close 
of their studies, manifest the deep interest which he cher- 
ished for their prosperity. That which follows was the 
last he ever delivered on an occasion of this kind. It oc- 
cured in the Sansom street meeting-house, in Philadelphia, 
a short time before the removal of the institution to the 
city of Washington. 

" My young Brethren, ^' 

" The period has arrived for your leaving an Institu- 
tion, in which most of you, for the last three years, have 
been actively engaged in the pursuits of literature, with a 
special reference to those sacred services, which you are 
desirous should constitute the business of your earthly 
existence. The memory of the hours in which you have 
been studying to become workmen approved of God, your 
hearts will cherish for years to come. Your amiable 
tempers, your incessant application, your Christian de- 
portment, your pious zeal for the promotion of the king- 
dom of the Redeemer on earth, will, by my worthy 
associate in your instruction, and myself, be remembered 
with conscious satisfaction while life shall continue. You 
have seen the Institution in all the weakness and anxiety 
of infancy, and leave it in the possession of that juvenile 
vigor, which it will be your ambition and consolation to 
promote. 

" About to enter on the active and responsible career of 
ministerial life, permit me to offer you a few ideas, which 
I trust your understanding will approve, and your piety 
make use of as the counsel, which a parting moment 
suggests. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 165 

" The work before you is of the most solemn importance, 
a work denied to angels. You have to impress on your 
species a sense of their moral defection, the enormity of 
their guilt, the dismal stain of their depravation, the in- 
sufficiency of human agency to effect their recovery, and 
the dreadful, yet righteous and unavoidable results to 
which a career of transgression exposes. You have to 
develope the ancient decisions of infinite mercy, to dis- 
close the system of salvation which the outlines of 
prophecy, and the veiled, but impressive system of shadows 
and types, in the earlier ages of our world, intimated to 
man. You have to proclaim the glories of Him, who, 
though rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through 
his poverty might be made rich ; to teach the necessity of 
the renovation of the heart, of faith in a Mediator's name, 
and of a holy conversation, to prepare a sinner for the 
paradise of God. You have to encourage the bosom op- 
pressed with iniquity, to cast its onerous affliction on the 
Lord Jesus, to cheer the believer amid the temptations and 
discouragements of the pilgrimage he is pursuing, to arouse 
the slumbering professor of the Gospel into life and exer- 
tion, and to train up regenerated men for glory and im- 
mortality. 

*' That in this sacred work you may abound and suc- 
ceed, cultivate a conviction of your own insufficiency, and 
by fervent supplication entreat the Lord whom you serve 
to afford you the instructions of his divine Spirit, and the 
stimulating influence of his grace, that you may compre- 
hend the import of the oracles of God, and continue 
instantly, in season and out of season, to preach the word 
to your fellow-men. Imagine not that your release to-day 
from the duties of the Institution, is to be regarded as the 
close of studious application. If you would attain to emi- 
nence in your holy profession, you must continue to labor 
15* 



166 MEMOIR OF 

while life shall endure. Read much. Let not your 
knowledge of the languages in which the Scriptures were 
originally written, be suffered to decay. On the contrary, 
render yourselves more and more familiar with their con- 
struction and force. While you value the Bible as the 
source of theological knowledge, you will find it conduce 
to your advantage to drink of those lateral reservoirs 
which enlightened expositors have dug out. Draw from 
the page of history whatever can illustrate the visions of 
prophecy. Be masters of every manly and beautiful criti- 
cism that is offered for the refuting of the creed of the 
infidel, and the improvement of the taste of your hearers. 
Value highly the writings of our best commentators. The 
rabbinical quotations spread through the writings of the 
laborious Gill ; the easy and practical inferences of the 
ingenious Henry ; the judicious and elegant criticisms of 
the pious Doddridge ; the frequently borrowed, but abun- 
dant and well selected observations of Burkitt ; the wise 
and original remarks of Poole, in the first volume of his 
Annotations, and the no less pious ideas of his Continuator ; 
the sober reasonings of Scott, and the occasionally eccen- 
tric, but frequently useful, conceptions of Trappe and 
Clarke, with a multitude of others, will enlarge the sphere 
of your information, and furnish an opportunity for ju- 
dicious selection. 

" In your preparations for the pulpit, never be satisfied 
with the offspring of a moment. Such productions, like 
the ephemerae of the natural world, may be expected to be 
short-lived and useless. Accustom yourselves, and es- 
pecially in the morning of your existence, to careful and 
laborious preparation. If I may use an old, but happy 
allusion to the services of the ancient dispensation, let the 
oil you bring into the temple be beaten oil. The present 
is the spring of your ministerial character, and your har- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 167 

vest will bear, with a divine blessing, an exact ratio to the 
labors of seed-time. You will reap the solid advantage of 
early industry, when domestic and ecclesiastical toils shall 
have so filled your hands, that your leisure for study shall 
have become materially diminished. Early studies are to 
the mind, what early temperance is to the body. They 
return a hundred fold the blessing of virtuous habit and 
sound constitution. 

" Beware of the risiuTs of a pedantic temper. Illustrate 
the worth of your improvements by the humility which 
they shall have created. Our Institution can suffer from 
no source a higher disadvantage than from the vanity of 
its alumni. Let it be seen, that the knowledge you have 
acquired has made you more amiable, more condescend- 
ing, more self-denying, than the want of such information 
ever could have effected. The young preacher, who feels 
and acts under the impression, that he is less than the 
least of all saints, may seem to sink ; but he sinks only as 
vernal tides, to rise with augmented current. 

" Be not hasty in the choice of a station for life. En- 
deavor not to control, but to obey the providence of God. 
His cloud, shady or illumined, will teach you when to 
journey and where to pause. Be careful in the estimates 
you form of human approbation and censure. Study the 
sources whence they spring, and let neither so far prevail 
over your judgment as to enrapture or depress you. 
Value the testimony that you please God, above every 
other consideration. 

'* Imitate the primitive preachers of the Gospel as to the 
theme and manner of your public ministrations. Study 
attentively the character of that illustrious model, who said 
to his hearers ; * We preach not ourselves, but Christ 
Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake.' 



168 MEMOIR OF 

" Pay strict attention to the affections of the heart. 
Send into everlasting exile the spirit of ambition and 
pride. Be gentle and kind towards all men, and especially 
towards your brethren in the ministry. 

^' Remember, my young brethren, that it is the avowed 
aim of your existence to be useful. Endeavor to be ser- 
viceable to pious young candidates for the ministry ap- 
proved by the churches, by introducing them into those 
grammatical, and other studies, which the Institution 
delights to recognize, and which will contribute as much 
to the establishment of your own literary improvement, as 
it will prepare the way for theirs. I need not remind you, 
that the Institution which has led you thus far up the 
steep of mental refinement, is justified in hoping that her 
maternal endeavors will be followed with filial affection 
and support. 

" And now, my dear young friends, in behalf of the 
Board of Managers of the Baptist General Convention, and 
of those who have contributed to your subsistence or edu- 
cation, I have to bid you an affectionate farewell. Bear with 
you the assurances of our most sincere attachments, and 
of our readiness to every future service that can promote 
your usefulness, respectability, or comfort. The Lord be 
with you, the Lord bless you, and make you a blessing, 

Amen." 

» 

He frequently received into his family young men, sons 
of his particular friends at a distance, who came to Phila- 
delphia to attend the Medical Lectures. With what 
anxiety he watched over them, with what kindness he 
acted towards them, may be seen from the following 
extract of a letter written by a brother in the South. 

Speaking of his son, he says ; " For all your kindness 
to him, my dear friend, accept my warmest acknowledg- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 169 

merits. You have laid us under obligations which I fear 
we can never discharge. This, indeed, we do not pretend 
to do, and we must beg of you to indulge us, in attempting 
to make some expression of it by act, as well as by words, 
when it is in our power." 



170 MEMOII^ OF 



CHAPTER VII, 

His missionary spirit — labors and usefulness as Corresponding Sec- 
retary of the General Convention — his sympathy with the mis- 
sionaries of the cross — instructions to missionaries — confidence in 
God under difficulties — poetry on the sailing of the first mission- 
aries of the Convention — incident at the Philadelphia Association, 
in 1829 — a vision. 

With Fuller, and Ryland, and* Carey, and other dis- 
tinguished ministers, the subject of this Memoir assisted in 
kindling the flame, which has since lighted up the Christian 
world, and by their side he was permitted to stand as a 
pillar in the great superstructure of benevolent effort. He 
was to the Baptist mission cause in this country, what 
Fuller was among his brethren in England. He was pres- 
ent at the first missionary meeting in England, which was 
held at Kettering in Northamptonshire, October 2, 1792. 

We cannot pass by this interesting occasion hastily. We 
pause, we linger on the threshhold, and with gratitude to 
God, gaze upon the moral sublimity of the scene. 

The origin of the society formed at this period may be 
traced to the celebrated Dr. Carey, whose praise has been 
wafted to every clime. The following interesting narrative 
of its first establishment, is taken from the periodical ac- 
counts of the society, published upwards of thirty years 
since in England : 

" The origin of this society will be found in the work- 
ings of our brother Carey's mind, which, for the last nine or 
ten years, has been directed to this object with very little 
intermission. His heart appears to have been set upon the 



DR. STAUGHTON. 171 

conversion of the heathen, before he came to reside at 
Moulton, in 1786. It was here he wrote the manuscript, 
which has since been printed, entitled, ' An Inquiry into 
the obligations of Christians to use means for the conver- 
sion of the Heathen,' and his conversations, prayers and 
sermons, were mostly accompanied with something relative 
to this subject. In the year 1791, being at a meeting of 
ministers at Clipstone in Northamptonshire, after two dis- 
courses had been preached, by brother Sutcliife and brother 
Fuller, on jealousy for the Lord of Hosts, and the pernicious 
influence of delay, he proposed a question. Whether it 
were not practicable, and our bounden duty, to attempt 
somewhat toward spreading the gospel in the heathen 
world ? 

" But the chief thing agreed upon was, to desire brother 
Carey to draw up his thoughts on the subject and publish 
them. At the next association of the Baptist churches at 
Oakham, June 16, 1791, it was requested that brothers 
Sutcliffe and Fuller would print the sermons above refer- 
red to ; with which request they complied, which were fol- 
lowed some months afterwards by brother Carey's ' In- 
quiry,' 6lc. 

" At the next annual meeting of the association at Not- 
tingham. May 31, 1792, brother Carey preached a very 
animating discourse from Isaiah 54 : 2, in which he ex- 
pressed two things in particular, as expository of ' length- 
ening our cords and strengthening our stakes.' (1.) That 
we should expect great things. (2.) That we should at- 
tempt great things. After public worship was over, the 
subject was revived, and a resolution made, * That a plan 
be prepared against the next ministers' meeting at Ketter- 
ing, for forming a society among the Baptists, for propagat- 
ing the gospel among the heathen ;' and brother Carey 
generously proposed to devote whatever profits might arise 
from his late publication to the use of such a society. 



172 MEMOIR OF 

"Accordingly at a ministers' meeting at Kettering, Octo- 
ber 2, 1792, after the public services of the day were end- 
ed, the ministers retired to consult further on the matter, 
and to lay a foundation at least for a society, when the fol- 
lowing resolutions were proposed and unanimously agreed 
to. 

Resolutions, Sfc. 

"1. Desirous of making an effort for the propagation of 
the Gospel among the heathen, agreeably to what is recom- 
mended in brother Carey's late publication on that subject, 
we, whose names appear in the subsequent subscription, do 
solemnly agree to act in society for that purpose. 

"2. As in the present divided state of Christendom, it 
seems that each denomination, by exerting itself separately, 
is most likely to accomplish the great ends of a mission^ it 
is agreed that this society be called. The Particular Baptist 
Society for Propagating the Gospel amongst the Heathen. 

" 3. As such an undertaking must needs be attended 
with expense, we agree immediately to open a subscription 
for the above purpose, and recommend it to others. 

" 4. Every person who shall subscribe ten pounds at 
once, or ten shillings and sixpence annually, shall be con- 
sidered as a member of the society. 

"5. That the Rev. John Ryland, Reynold Hogg, Wil- 
liam Carey, John Sutcliffe, and Andrew Fuller, be appoint- 
ed a committee, three of whom shall be empowered to act 
in carrying into effect the purposes of the society. 

'' 6. That the Rev. Reynold Hogg, be appointed 
Treasurer, and the Rev. Andrew Fuller, Secretary. 

'^ 7. That the subscriptions be paid in at the North- 
ampton ministers' meetings October 31, 1792, at which time 
the subject shall be considered more particularly, by the 
committee and other subscribers who may be present. 

^'Signed, John Ryland, Reynold Hogg, John Sutcliffe, 
Andrew Fuller, Abraham Greenwood, Edward Shar- 
man, Joshua Burton, Samuel Pearce, Thomas Blun- 
dell,William Staughton, John Eayres, Joseph Timms ; 
whose subscription in all amounted to .£13 25. 6d." 



DR. STAUGHTON. 173 

What hath God wrought ! This small, but solemn 
meeting may be considered as having first given to the 
Christian world that missionary impulse, which is the glory 
of our age, and as having roused up the spirit that had been 
sleeping from the days of the apostles. Not more certainly 
did the providence of God raise up Washington, and those 
noble minds by whose influence he was sustained in our 
revolutionary struggle, with a view to the destruction of the 
oppressor and the ultimate liberty of the world ; than did 
His holy Spirit impart to Carey and those excellent men 
by whom he was surrounded, an apostolic zeal for the con- 
version of the heathen, and the final establishment of the 
gospel in all the earth. 

Millions in Asia, Africa, and the isles of the sea, that at 
the close of the last century, were sunk in absolute dark- 
ness, unacquainted with the character of Jehovah and the 
mediation of his Son Jesus Christ, are now reading in their 
own tongues the wonderful works of God. 

Dr. Staughton has frequently observed, that he considered 
his being present at that meeting, and contributing all the 
money he had with him, which was half a guinea, as one 
of the best achievements of his life. He was the last of this 
apostolic band that bid adieu to earth. 

The spirit which animated that body, was a ruling spirit 
in his soul through life. It appears that the subject of 
foreign missions was agitated by him, at an early period 
of his residence in this country. Under date of August 
3d, 1802, Rev. Mr. Chamberlain a missionary to India, 
who was then on a visit to this country, and spending a 
few days with Dr. Staughton at Burlington, writes : 

" Brother Staughton, of Burlington, is principal of the 
academy in this place, and has lately been presented with 
16 



174 M E M O I R O F 

a diploma from Princeton college. He interests himself 
much in the prosperity of Zion, partakes of a missionary 
spirit, and stands as a witness against the negligence of 
many in this country who profess Christianity. At several 
associations he has proposed that something should be done 
for the spread of the gospel among the heathen, and though 
it has been hitherto in vain, yet he renews his applications 
every year, and I hope he will finally succeed. His object 
is to establish a society in this place to co-operate with the 
Baptist Missionary Society in England, or to send mission- 
aries among the heathen from hence." 

It is necessary, in this place, to take a short view of the 
origin of Baptist missions in this country, and the means 
by which the subject of this Memoir was introduced to 
those official labors, which, under God, have so richly 
contributed to the advancement of the missionary en- 
terprise. 

The Rev. Messrs. Judson, Newell, Hall, Nott and Rice, 
were set apart as missionaries to the East Indies, at Salem, 
Massachusetts, on the sixth day of February 1812, and on 
the eighteenth and nineteenth of the same month, part in 
the ship Harmony from Philadelphia, and part in the Car- 
avan, from Salem, sailed for their destination under the 
patronage of the American Board of Commissioners for 
Foreign Missions. Brethren Judson and Newell with their 
wives, arrived at Calcutta on the eighteenth of June fol- 
lowing, and on the next day proceeded to the Mission 
House at Serampore, about fifteen miles up the river, where 
they were most affectionately welcomed. The missionaries 
in the ship Harmony arrived about six weeks after the Car- 
avan. 

During their passage Mr. Judson thought much of the 
circumstance that he was going to Serampore where all 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 175 

were Baptists, and that he should, in all probability, have 
occasion to defend infant sprinkling. To be prepared for 
this exigency he began to examine the foundations of pedo- 
baptism. The more he examined, the more he was con- 
vinced that it had no support from the word of God. His 
mind was nearly made up before he arrived in India. He 
still pursued the subject after his arrival, and read all the 
authors he could obtain on both sides of the question. 
Finally he became convinced that he had nevej: been bap- 
tized, and that he could not conscientiously sprinkle infants. 
At an early period of the examination, he suggested his 
difficulties to his companion, and after a solemn and prayer- 
ful investigation, she became perfectly satisfied, that the 
immersion of a professing believer, in the name of Christ, 
is the only Christian baptism. They were both baptized 
on the sixth of September, in the Baptist chapel in Cal- 
cutta. The Rev. Mr. Rice, also, entered into an exami- 
nation of the subject, and in a few weeks after this, he was 
also baptized. 

Their situation was now embarrassing. Their connex- 
ion with the American Board was virtually dissolved, and 
it was doubtful whether the Baptists in America would 
organize a society and direct their attention to Foreign 
Missions. The brethren at Serampore, wrote letters to 
some of the most distinguished Baptists in this country, and 
recommended to their attention this favorable opening in 
providence for their enterprise in this great work. This 
small missionary band were impressed with the conviction, 
that it was the duty of Mr. Rice to return to the United 
States, and to employ his efforts in awakening the Baptist 
churches to the importance of the subject. In the mean 
time providence directed Mr. and Mrs. Judson to the Bur- 
man empire, as the scene of their future labors. The 
Rev. Mr. Rice accordingly returned, and, sustained by 



176 



MEMOIR OP 



many brethren of enlarged benevolence and influence, and 
particularly by the special providence that threw this op- 
portunity in their vi^ay, was highly successful in awakening 
a missionary spirit, and originating a large number of Mis- 
sionary societies in various parts of the country. In the 
month of April, 1814, was formed at Philadelphia, the Bap- 
tist General Convention, since called " The General Con- 
vention of the Baptist denomination in the United States 
for Foreign Missions," and for other important objects re- 
lating to the Redeemer's kingdom. Of this body the Rev. 
Dr. Staughton, who was one of its founders, was appointed 
Corresponding Secretary, which he held till the Convention 
of 1826, when it was determined to locate the Board of 
Managers in Boston. 

His work in this department was extensive and respon- 
sible. To those who are acquainted with the infancy of 
the Board of Managers, and the difficulties which they had 
to encounter, it is perfectly obvious, that nothing short of 
holy prudence, wisdom, and decision could have steered 
the trembling bark on its boisterous passage. These qual- 
ifications eminently characterized the subject of this Me- 
moir, His was the hand that gave direction to the move- 
ments of the body, and contributed so successfully under 
the divine blessing, to its prosperity and usefulness. Famil- 
iar with all the official documents of the Board, and favored 
with a discriminating mind, his plans were matured, and, 
sustained by appropriate arguments, rarely failed to secure 
the cordial co-operation of his brethren. Never did he at- 
tempt to assume the office of dictator ; but with mildness, 
with the highest regard for the opinions of others, and with 
a decision that indicated his confidence in the God of 
missions, he recommended measures and supported them. 

The acting Board in Philadelphia was the subject of 
some serious charges, and Dr. Staughton received the 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 177 

largest share, as the supposed originator of its objection- 
able measures. But in the Convention, held in May, 
1817, which was composed of about forty delegates from 
various sections of the United States, these charges re- 
ceived a most triumphant refutation. In accordance with 
a reqiiest of the Board that their measures should be 
examined, a respectable committee unanimously presented 
the following report, which received the sanction of the 
Convention. 

" The committee to whom was '•eferred that part of the 
address, in which the Board ' respectfully ask of the Con- 
vention an attentive investigation of their conduct, and an 
avowal of the sentiments of your body, whether it deserve 
censure or support V beg leave to report, that, after a sat- 
isfactory investigation of the proceedings of the Board, 
they are unanimously of the opinion, that the Board de- 
serve the explicit approbation and thanks of this Conven- 
tion, for their zealous and unremitting labors. Your 
committee are sensible of the embarrassments which have 
impeded the operations of the Board, and cannot but view, 
with reo-ret and disapprobation, the measures which have 
been taken by certain individuals to impair the public 
confidence, and to repress the missionary spirit, which has 
been so happily and extensively excited. 

Jesse Mercer, Chairman. 

Daniel Sharp, Secretary/." 

As the Corresponding Secretary of the Convention, an 
immense amount of writing was requisite, and while others 
were enjoying the repose of sleep, he was often laboriously 
en(Tacred in preparing communications of an official char- 
acter. The annual addresses were written by him, and 
many of the reports, which were called for at the meetings 
of the Convention. 
16* 



178 MEMOIROF 

If missionary information was desirable for the prepara- 
tion of a sermon on a special occasion, or for the purpose 
of writing a report in relation to any of the missionary sta- 
tions, his brethren felt it their pleasure to solicit, and their 
advantage to employ the information he was capable of 
imparting. 

To encourage the missionaries in their work was his 
great delight. Amid the numerous toils it was his to 
experience, he remembered them still. He was anxious 
that others should cheer their hearts by friendly corres- 
pondence, and he who would read the breathings of his 
soul, may read them in the following familiar effusion to 
his friend and brother, Mr. Maylin. He had resided in 
India many years in intimate intercourse with the Seram- 
pore band, but was at this time on a visit to New York, in 
company with brother Fernandez. 

" I have this morning had an interview with Captain 
Bowen, of the ship Helvetius. He intends sailing in about 
fifteen days for Calcutta, and offers to take any letters or 
packets we may choose to transmit. Receiving the intel- 
ligence thus early, you may have time to prepare commu- 
nications. An hour each morning spent in writing to India 
will be time well improved. The arrival of a vessel from 
Philadelphia, without letters from you, will pain the friends 
of the Mission House. On the contrary, conceive the lustre 
that will be kindled in the countenances of Carey, Marsh- 
man, Ward, and, especially, in the face of a father and friend 
of Fernandez, at Dinagepoor, when a native comes running 
and crying, ' Bolottee Sahaib,' ' Bolottee Sahaib.' " 

To the missionaries in India, he was in the habit of 
writing frequently, communicating such intelligence as he 
thought might cheer their hearts and encourage them to 
renewed exertions. Papers and pamphlets calculated to 
impart light in reference to the operations of their brethren 



DR. STAUGHTON. 179 

in this country, he would forward by every favorable op- 
portunity that occurred. This was not done as an act of 
mere duty, but one of pleasure. He was frequently in 
search of such opportunities, and gladly availed himself of 
every mode, in which he could transmit information and 
encouragement. 

The instructions which he was in the habit of directing 
to missionaries, exhibit the fact, that he was exceedingly 
desirous of promoting the Gospel among the heathen, and 
that he was particularly concerned for the deportment of 
the missionaries themselves, that through their example, 
the influence of divine truth should be recognized. 

Letter to one of the Missionaries, under date of Oc- 
tober 10, 1816. 

" My dear Friend, 

*' Your communication from Calcutta, together with the 
parcel of letters you transmitted, has come safe to hand. 
Our prayers are answered, and you are borne in safety to 
your desired haven. I am happy that your passage has 
proved so comfortable, and that the kindness of the Cap- 
tain has been so distinguished and uniform. God, who 
has the hearts of all persons in his hands, can raise up 
friends for his children where and when he pleases. Past 
deliverances, I hope, will assist you to exercise future con- 
fidence. 

" Your character, my sister, from the opposition of 
enemies and the interested feelings of friends, has ac- 
quired a publicity, that will require much prudence, cir- 
cumspection and prayer. May the Lord assist you day by 
day. Cherish to the utmost possible extent a conciliating 
temper. Forgive not only seven times, but seventy times 
seven. Take care lest self-respect, should degenerate into 
self-importance. Be willing to be any thing, provided the 



180 MEMOIR OF 

cause for which you have given up the endearments of 
your natal soil and home, may be promoted. Study only 
and ever, the things that make for peace. You know? I 
am your friend, your pastor ; you call me your father. I 
am sure, under such relations, you can bear advice dic- 
tated by the purest affection, and intended to promote 
your personal comfort, and the honor of the infant mission. 

" Our Board will be happy to hear from you all, what 
are the expenses of living at Rangoon, that we may ac- 
commodate our remittances to your comfort. In this we 
request you to be explicit. The Board feels it a sacred 
duty to practise economy ; but it feels the duty equally 
sacred, that your conveniences be met and your happiness 
promoted. 

" I trust you will be able to live near the Lord. You 
will find his presence capable of cheering your heart under 
every change, and be able to say, ' I can do all things 
through Christ, which streno^theneth me.' I have often 
admired the motto of Mr. Cruden's family coat of arms, 
* Nil desperandum Christo duce,' — Never despair with 
Jesus for your leader." 

To another of the Missionaries. 

" Philadelphia, Oct. 2, 1818. 
" Dear Brother, 

" Called, as you have been, to the important office of a 
missionary of the cross, agreeably to a custom of the 
Board of Foreign Missions, under whose patronage you go 
forth, they present you with a few general instructions, 
which they hope may contribute to your assistance and 
comfort. 

" As you are about to labor in a sphere corresponding 
with that occupied by our beloved brother, the Rev. Mr. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 181 

Ranaldson, the Board wishes you to consider the sub- 
stance of the instructions given to him as directed to your- 
self, and trust that the same fervors of holy zeal and 
unwearied exertion, which he has so pleasingly discovered, 
will be found in you. In him, and in our worthy brother. 
Dr. Cooper, you will find affectionate friends and able 
counsellors. 

" In the regions of the Mississippi State, and in Louis- 
iana, where the gospel is rarely preached, you will perceive 
an important field of action, which we wish you, in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, to endeavor to occupy; but still 
the Board wish you to have an eye directed, as far as may 
be, to the Indians in the West. Visit them when you 
can, and communicate all you can collect relative to their 
local situation, and the probable openings for doing good 
among them. The inhabitants of the United States are 
debtors to those unhappy, and untaught wanderers ; and 
the Christian community feel their obligation to contribute 
to the discharge of the debt. The American Baptists, in 
common with their brethren of other denominations, are 
anxious to convince the natives, that the Son of Man 
came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. 

" We hope you will be enabled to * Walk in wisdom,^ 
and that the presence of the Redeemer, and the influences 
of his good Spirit, will afford you consolation and guidance. 
We shall be happy to hear from you often, and hope you 
may have tidings to communicate, that will impart evan- 
gelic pleasure to our hearts, and to the hearts of thousands. 

William Staughton, Cor. Sec." 

Every thing that related to missions deeply affected his 
heart, and nothing more so than the death of its distin- 
guished advocates. This was not merely the feeling of 
regret, he improved the dispensation. 



182 MEMOIR OF 

In a letter to a distant friend, dated Philadelphia, Feb- 
ruary 13, 1815, he writes; " An excellent veteran in the 
mission cause, the Rev. Mr. Sutcliffe, who, with Ryland 
and Fuller, formed our great missionary triumvirate, has 
gone to his heavenly home. The last words of this emi- 
nent saint were, 

' I have tasted Canaan's grapes, 

But O, I long to go 
Where my dear Lord his vineyard keeps, 

And grapes in clusters grow.' 

" O ! that our latter end may be like his. Samson, 
when about pressing down the pillars, exclaimed, ' Let me 
die with the Philistines.' I would rather say, ' Let me 
die the death of the righteous.' " 

His confidence in the overruling providence of God was 
steadfast. When some intelligence reached the Board, 
that he feared might be employed against the mission by 
its opposers, he felt assured that the hand of God would 
direct, and that no weapon formed against them should 
prosper. He observed to a friend, " Fear not; He reigns, 
the Lord the Saviour reigns," the kingdoms are his. He 
must increase. If no mountains towered, no vallies sunk, 
how could we hope to see the power displayed, by which 
every valley is exalted and every mountain and hill laid 
low?" 

In every event, it was his felicity to acknowledge the 
hand of God. To Mrs. White, then in New York, and 
about to sail to India, as a missionary, he wrote the lines 
under date of August 25, 1815. " God is ivitli us ! The 
best ship in the harbor of Philadelphia is at the service 
of brother Hough and yourself. The passage without 
money J ^ 

The following hymn was composed by him at New- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 183 

castle, upon the sailing of these missionaries for India, on 
the 12th of December, 1815. 

" Adieu, loved friends, in Jesus' name 

We bid the heart-inspired adieu ; 
In yon fair bark descend the stream, 

To Indian chmes your course pursue. 

"Affection soft and memory stand. 

To hold you to your natal soil ; 
But grace can stretch the parting hand, 

Possessed of all in Jesus' smile. 

"A thousand prayers for you ascend, • 

A thousand blessings shall return. 
Diffused by that imperial Friend, 

Whose glory bids your bosoms burn. 

'^ Brethren, beloved, on eastern shores. 

Shall hail you welcome to the field ; 
Prudence unveil her sacred stores, 

And Love her rich refreshments yield. 

" Go firm in faith, maintain the fight, 

Jehovah shall all nations know. 
Veils shall be rent, and banished, night. 

Where beams the sun or breezes blow. 

" Sustained by heaven, devoutly swear. 

Perpetual league of heart and hands ! 
Nor hell, nor earth, nor time shall tear 

The sweet, inviolable bands. 

" A few more moons, and we shall meet, 

Our labors and our sufferings o'er ; 
And stand and sing at Jesus' feet, 

Nor mourn dividing oceans more." 

Whatever might contribute to awaken or to sustain the 
missionary spirit, his heart was prepared to employ. He 
fr^qubntly read letters received from his friends upon the 



184 MEMOIROF 

subject of missions, and by this means assisted to keep 
alive the missionary flame. Sometimes he would accom- 
plish the same end by the exhibition of idols received from 
India, with a description of their object and the character 
of that devotion with which the worshipper knows them. 
Most of these were subsequently presented to the museum 
of Mr. Peale, where they excited considerable public at- 
tention. 

He frequently travelled, and obtained considerable sums 
for mission and education purposes, and on these occasions 
threw all the weight of his character and the influence of 
his eloquence into the scale. How many dormant spirits 
he was instrumental in arousing, how many feeble hands 
he strengthened, the day of judgment alone can exhibit. 

A respected brother of Philadelphia has furnished me 
with an incident that strongly marks the vigor of his mis- 
sionary spirit. '^The last Philadelphia Association he at- 
tended, in October, 1829, some queries were introduXied 
by one of the churches, calling their attention to more 
vigorous exertions for the extension of the Redeemer's 
kingdom. A desire being expressed to postpone the sub- 
ject, roused at once all his former energies, and he warmly 
contended that the subject required every thing to give 
place to it. The business of the Association is the promo- 
tion of the religion of Christ, if not, their existence is use- 
less. The effect of this was such as to induce that body 
to engage their immediate attention to missionary ekertions. 
The remainder of the session was really a manifestation of 
divine power, in provoking one another to love and good 
works. At this meeting considerable sums were pledged 
for the purpose of sustaining the cause of Missions." 
This is but one example among many in which his zeal, 
his convincing arguments and his eloquence, contributed 
to kindle the missionary flame. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 185 

At the meeting of the Convention in New-York, in 
1826, he was elected President of the Board of Managers. 
In 1S29 he was re-elected to the same office, and retained 
it until his death. 

The fact, that his whole soul was absorbed in this inter- 
esting subject, is very finely exhibited in the Vision, which 
he wrote and published in the Latter Day Luminary, and 
which cannot be read without interest. 

A VISION. 

" Sitting, a few days ago, in my easy chair, and medi- 
tating, with sorrow of heart, on the miserable condition of 
the race of man, I instantly fell asleep. Whether the 
sleep were induced by a despairing conclusion that human 
miseries would not soon be abolished, or whether, as phy- 
sicians frequently assert, grief lulls the body to slumber, 
and had such an effect on me, I cannot determine. The 
world was scarcely shut out from my senses, before I heard 
a voice louder than thunder, in which majesty and sweet- 
ness, decision and energy were combined, utter the sounds, 
* Behold, I create all things new.' A chorus instantly 
succeeded, loud and harmonious, the theme of which was, 
' Good will toward men.' I felt as though I were in a new 
world. Involuntarily I looked up to the heavens. The 
moon was setting, a few stars were still visible, and the 
increasing crimson of the east gave assurance that the 
morning sun was about to throw over the earth its reviving 
lustre. But what, thought I, of novelty is there here ? 
These glorious luminaries may hereafter become useless in 
the system of things, and the power that framed may de- 
stroy them ; yet as they are not objects of moral turpitude, 
whence the necessity of creating them anew ? Occupied in 
reflection, I heard again the music of heaven in sounds 
more combined and vigorous than before. I saw a form 
17 



186 MEMOIR OF 

descend, mild and trailing as a shooting star ; he came 
nearer, sustaining a roll in his hand, and suppressed my 
alarm, by saying, ' Child of dust, dismiss thy apprehen- 
sions : he who sits on the rainbow has seen thy sorrow. 
Believe me, I am the genius of prophecy, and am sent to 
show thee scenes which in a few years shall be amply 
realized : ascend with me.' He took me by the hand : my 
body became light as air the instant he touched me. I 
ascended. 'Seest thou yon hill?' said my instructer. 
' Mark it well.' Its summit was rugged and barren ; but 
down its sides, in every direction, I saw (for we flew round 
the hill) falling the most beautiful currents. The celestial 
messenger seemed as though he could have continued 
gazing on the spot forever ; and indeed, when we left it, 
I remarked that, with a countenance beaming with joy, 
and bespeaking a heart occupied with contemplation, he 
would often look back. I could not help observing, that 
wherever the streams directed their course, the soil, other- 
wise steril, was covered with flowers and fruits. I was 
sorry to observe, that after a while, the waters appeared to 
run under ground, excepting here and there a narrow 
stream threw back the rays of the sun. At length, after 
miles of desolation, they again broke up, and continued, 
with some interruptions, gradually to swell. 'Extend thy 
vision,' said the genius ; when, I know not by what en- 
chanting virtue, or by what unperceived elevation, I saw 
the earth, far as the eye could reach, yielding her increase. 
The cattle fed in large pastures. The vine gave her fruit, 
and the heavens their dew. I was particularly delighted 
to observe the interest which a number of cherubim took 
in the beautiful scene. Now they were flying through the 
air, and now apparently alighting on the ground, as if such 
a soil they could wish to inhabit. I could hear them say- 
ing, partly in the voice of proclamation, and partly in song. 



DR. STAUGHTON. ' 187 

' The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers 
and streams.' I could not forbear askincr the name of the 
hill whence these blessings issued. I was answered, ' It 
is Calvary, where the Lord was crucified : but come,' said 
the genius, ' let us draw nearer to these happy regions.' 
But how shall I describe what I had the felicity to observe! 
I could not help exclaiming, 

O, scenes surpassing fable, and yet true, 
Scenes of accomplished bliss ! 

In one place I heard the sound of ponderous hammers ; 
thousands were busily employed. They were beating 
swords into ploughshares, and spears into pruning-hooks. 
They sang as they labored, and at the end of every stanza 
the air rang with the chorus, ' There shall be war no more.' 
I saw in the same pasture the kid and the lion sporting, 
and children fearlessly playing with adders and asps. The 
countenances of the inhabitants every where exhibited the 
appearance of vigorous health ; there was not one weak or 
sickly among them. Many were far advanced in age ; a 
century or more had passed over them. They bent like 
the grain of harvest, showing themselves richer, because 
older than those around them. It was gratifying to see 
bands of youth crowding around the aged ; some offering 
their arms to sustain them, others presenting them milk 
and fruits, and all listening to their pious instructions. 
Nearly every one had under his arm a book, which my 
guide told me was the volume of inspiration. Some of them 
had the book open, and were offering observations more 
sublime, evangelic and lucid than any thing I had ever 
heard before ; even the youth seemed to possess the men- 
tal vigor and clear discernment of manhood. I asked the 
genius whence this wondrous illumination had proceeded ? 
He told me the temple of God was opened in heaven, and 



188 JWEMOIR OP 

that this happy people had seen in his temple the ark of his 
testament. 

" My instructer perceived my attention directed to a 
particular class of men, that were almost every vs^here to be 
traced. They seemed greatly to excel in the spirit of 
wisdom and love. They always walked arm in arm. The 
attachment of the people to these men was surprising. 
Some of the men were on their knees, and with eyes bright 
with tears of rapture, cried, 'Lord, it is enough ! ' A few 
were engaged in public addresses ; but most of them were 
saying to the people, ' In every place your faith to God- 
ward is spread abroad, so that we need not to speak any 
thing.' I was informed they were ministers of the Gospel, 
who had lived to see the answer of their prayers and the 
fruit of their ministrations. 

" I was struck with observing, at some distance, im- 
mense volumes of smoke ascending in the air. My direc- 
tor invited me to approach the spot. In one place were 
large furnaces, with prodigious crucibles, into which were 
casjt gods of gold and silver. The workmen were so zeal- 
ous in their employ, that one melting-pot could scarcely be 
poured, before they wanted to throw in other gods. The 
matrices gave to each ingot characters which every one 
might read, ' The silver and the gold is the Lord's.' In 
another place blazed a prodigious fire, which at first ap- 
peared composed of logs of wood, but, on nearer inspec- 
tion, I found them gods from the forest. I recognized in 
them the forms of Brumha, and Kishnoo, and Shivu, and 
mentioned them to the genius. " Yes,' added he, ' and 
here are the representations of Indru, and Sooryu, and 
Guneshu, and Kariketu, and Ugnu, and Puvunu, and Vu- 
roonu, and Yamu, and Gaudama, and all the three hundred 
and thirty millions of Indian gods at once on fire.' Many 
similar piles were seen in every direction. It was really 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 189 

delightful, to observe with what eagerness men were car- 
rying their idols to the pyre. The women and children 
and old men were no less active than the rest. * This,' 
said the guide, * is the way in which God will purge the 
earth, by the spirit of burning.^ One stream of fire as- 
cended more vivid than the rest. I supposed the reason 
to be, because the materials were more combustible. I 
arrived just in time to spell out some few characters, for I 
found them to be papers, rolls and books. I distinctly dis- 
covered the words Koran, Veda, Shastra. 'Come with 
me,' said the genius, 'to the other side of the pile.' I 
went, and saw amid the fire the names of Chubb, Collins, 
Herbert, Shaftsbury, Hume, Gibbon, Paine, and several 
others that I do not distinctly recollect. On a neighboring 
spot were burning beads and crucifixes, dispensations and 
mitres. As I was contemplating the fiery mass, I heard a 
voice from the sky, ' These the Lord shall consume with 
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the bright- 
ness of his coming.' Seeing at a distance some vessels 
very deeply laden, I asked my instructer what these meant? 
He said, 'Come and see.' We hastened to the rivers, and 
passed, in our way, many heathen temples, over each of 
which were written the words, empty, void, and icaste. We 
discovered that the vessels were filled with gods of stone 
and clay, which, with shouts of joy, the seamen threw into 
the depths of the ocean, to be seen no more. 

"Walking among the inhabitants, I could not but re- 
mark that they had some familiar terms in conversation, 
that I never found used so much before. I often heard the 
words, showers, wind, water of the sanctuary, jubilee, year 
of release, mountain of the Lord's house, latter days, and 
the like. I ventured to speak with one of the happy peo- 
ple ; with which I saw my conducter was not displeased. 
I asked, Do you keep the Sabbath ? The answer was, ' Sir, 
17* 



190 MEMOIR OP 

ours is perpetual Sabbath ; the seven thousandth year of 
the creation of God is come.' Are there any hospitals, or 
alms-houses in your regions ? ' No, disease is not.' Have 
you any courts of judicature, or prison houses? I was told, 
' the former still remain, the latter are demolished, for the 
people are all righteous.' I had proceeded, but the genius 
said, ' Come, let us survey at large the glorious landscape.' 
We ascended, and pursued our w^ay. The seas were cov- 
ered with ships, but on every pendant were such mottos as 
joy J love, peace, zeal, holiness, the end is come, &/C. fcc. 
In one situation I saw multitudes of Chinese occupied in 
evangelic devotions. There Tartars, in immense congre- 
gations, were celebrating the name of Jesus. Hindoos and 
Bengalees, Gentoos and Burmans, were hailing the light 
of the glorious gospel. Ethiopians were lifting up their 
hands to the heavens. Indians of the west were rejoicing, 
that to their deserts the excellency of Carmel was given. 
The face of the Jew was without a veil ; and the names of 
Mecca and Medina were in a manner forgotten. 

" ' These,' said my director, 'are some of the glories of 
future times, which I have been instructed to unfold to 
thee ; but the half has not been told. Return to thy sta- 
tion in life ; believe in the Lord, and bid adieu to thy 
griefs.' The thought of losing the delightsome vision 
seemed intolerable. I said, how long, my inestimable in- 
structer, shall it be, before these glories shall be universally 
realized ? He replied, * Come with me, I will show you the 
hill of prophecy.' Turning to the east, I beheld the most 
magnificent eminence I had ever seen. Its base was 
granite, coral and gold, on which were engraved, as with 
a pen of iron on the rock, in letters which time had not in 
the least degree defaced, ' Hath he said, and shall he 
NOT DO IT?' The mountain rose sublime and awful; in 
some parts it showed a steady resplendence, in others it 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 191 

was involved in clouds which seemed gradually vanishing. 
A bright effulgence, descending from above, rested on its 
summit, on which stood forty or fifty venerable forms- 
Several of them bore standards waving long and beautiful. 
On two, that flamed with red, I saw the figures 666 and 
1000. But several, which my guide pointed to me, were 
of the purest white. On one was written, 'his times;' on 
another, ' time, times, and the dividing of a time ; ' on a 
third, ' forty and two months ;' on a fourth, 'twelve hun- 
dred and sixty days.' I regretted that a part of the ensigns 
seemed wound round the staff's that supported them, so that 
I could not ascertain the dates, whence to calculate the 
period intended. On expressing my sorrow on this ac- 
count, my instructer said, with the greatest tenderness of 
manner, ' You remember, child of dust, the words of your 
Lord and mine, 'it is not given to you to know the times 
and seasons.' ' But, said I, may we not hope that in one 
hundred and a few years all these things shall come to 
pass ? He smiled. I understood the smile to say, yes, thou 
hast rightly divined. He, however, only said, opening the 
scroll he held in his hand, 'Read this.' I saw, in golden 
letters, Moravian missions. Baptist Mission Society, Lon- 
don Mission Society, Bible societies, Sunday schools, &:.c. ; 
and the names, Elliott, Brainerd, Vanderkemp, Kircherer, 
Carey, Marshman, Ward, &lc. I was continuing to read 
the opening roll, when the prophets on the hill struck with 
their lyres and uttered with their voices such rapturous 
strains, that, overpowered with their sweetness, their ful- 
ness, and their harmony, I awoke." 



192 MEMOIR OF 



CHAPTER VIII. 

His private character — his kindness, affability and philanthropy- 
cheerfulness and simplicity in the social circle — his hospitality — 
friend of the widow and orphan — his pleasure in making others 
happy — several letters of condolence — an incident — confidence 
which his brethren exercised in him — letter from Joseph Butter- 
worth, member of parliament — his independence and decision of 
character — his piety — constant effort to promote piety among the 
young, and to be useful to all — his cheerfulness. 

The private character of our deceased friend was as 
amiable and unblemished as his public career was useful 
and splendid. His temper was naturally irritable ; but 
through grace, he obtained an astonishing command over 
it, so that to his acquaintance, it appeared almost impossi- 
ble that any circumstance could destroy its equilibrium. 
His heart was susceptible of quick impulse, and if, for a 
moment, roused to any thing like undue heat, it was but 
for a moment, and all was forgotten. His kindness and 
affability were probably never surpassed. Careless of his 
own convenience, there was no sacrifice but he was pre- 
pared to make, no labor but he was ready to undertake, in 
order to promote the comfort of his friends. His philan- 
thropy was of the highest order. To do good was his 
great delight, and when his means were incompetent to 
supply the claims of benevolence, he sought the aid of the 
wealthy and the influential in society, with whom he had 
an extensive intercourse. 

His company was at all times hailed with delight. He had 
a peculiar facility in giving entertainment to the social circle, 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 193 

by the sweet flow of his conversation, and by the animation 
with which his manner inspired the breasts of the aged and 
the young. There was no ostentatious display, no forbidding 
solemnity ; traits often assumed for the purpose of exhibit- 
ing the dignity of the minister of God. Who has not b^en 
amused and yet disgusted by the stern countenance, the 
stiffened demeanor, the measured sentence, and the la- 
bored dignity of the Christian minister, while the young 
sat chilled by the icy atmosphere, and the aged drew nearer 
to the fire to warm their shivering frames. The subject 
of this Memoir knew how to preserve the dignity of his 
character, while he could exhibit the simplicity of the 
child, and act as though he were possessor of talents 
as humble as the least that surrounded him. All felt un- 
embarrassed in his presence ; and even the little children 
would approach him with confidence, and speak their art- 
less strains encouraged by his voice. 

His friendship and hospitality knew no bounds. The 
distant brother was welcomed to his house, and shared his 
kindness. Many expressions of acknowledgment on the 
part of those who visited him, were afterwards given in 
their correspondence. 

The Rev. Mr. Chamberlain has the following memento 
in his journal. " Our visit at Burlington has been very 
happy. The kindness we have met with, in a strange 
land, especially from brother Staughton and family, has 
laid us under great obligations." 

To the poor he was a devoted friend. The widow and 
the orphan shared his sympathies, and, impelled by the 
generous tide of his benevolence, he contrived means to 
contribute to their comfort. Though he had been the 
subject of many shameful deceptions, yet his desire to 
relieve the afflicted was not in the least abated. He used 
frequently to quote the words of his friend, the Rev. 



194 



MEMOIR OF 



Samuel Pearce, of Birmingham ; "I had rather be de- 
ceived ninety-nine times, than turn one poor afflicted 
person away unassisted," and the passage, '' The liberal 
deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he 
stand." The fatal fire, which consumed the orphan 
asylum in Philadelphia, on the 23d of January, 1822, is 
still fresh in the memory of its inhabitants. Twenty-three 
children fell victims to its flames. The poetic production 
of his pen, which on this occasion appeared in the public 
prints, was not written with a view to fame, but with the 
hope that it might impress the orphan's condition with 
greater force upon the minds of the citizens. 

" Cold, cold was the night and was absent the moon, 
And were sinking the stars in the sky, 
When bursting- in flame, the sad Orphan House shone, 
And the sparkles flew crowded and high. 

'^ The bells through the darkness toll'd awful and loud, 
And the watchmen cried mournfully, ' Fire /' — 
The engines roll'd rapid, dragg'd on by the crowd, 
While the sparkles rose thicker and higher. 

*' The engines were mighty and flexile the hose. 
And active the generous men ; 

But the keen breeze of night the sad current had froze^ 
And the levers moved heavy and vain. 

"From the softness of slumber, and juvenile dreams, 
As frighted he sprung from his bed. 
Oh! sad on the ear were the orphan's dread screams, 
Consigned by the blaze to the dead ! 

'' Though darkness surround Thee, we bow to thy will, 
The poor thy munificence share ; 
Since, Father of Mercies, thy providence still, 
Makes the widovv^ and orphan thy care." 

Whatever called for gratitude on the part of his friends 
excited the same lively exercise in his own bosom. What- 



DR. S T A U G H T N. 195 

ever imparted pleasure to his own heart, he communicated 
under the impression of a reciprocity of feeling. No 
apology is deemed necessary for introducing in illustra- 
tion, a letter which he wrote to a ministering brother then 
in England. 

'' February 21, 1807. 
*' My dear Brother, 

" I received duly your affectionate letter, dated Octo- 
ber 6, 1806. With multitudes of your Philadelphia friends, 
I rejoiced to hear of your safe arrival in your native land. 
Your letter came to hand on Tuesday afternoon. I read 
the substance of it the same evening at Mrs. Bright's so- 
ciety, when we gave public thanks to a prayer-hearing 
God, and again commended you to the word of his grace. 
The kindness you received from Captain Smith, the pre- 
servation you experienced while the sea was strewed with 
wrecks, the recovery of your vessel from its beam ends, 
call for gratitude and future confidence in the name of 
your great deliverer. 

" I was a few evenings ago at Mr. B's. Himself and 
Mrs. B. had just been revived by a letter from their friends, 
informing them that you had been with them, and that the 
interview had been conducive to your mutual gratification. 
You will be pleased to hear that Mr. and Mrs. B., and 
their daughter Mary, have been united to the church. 

" In Philadelphia the work of the Lord seems on its way. 
We have had additions every month since you left us. 
Our society meetings continue crowded. We have heard 
of considerable fruit from our happy six o'clock services at 
Mr. Beasly's. 

*' No communications have been lately received from 
India. The last, was a letter to one of our Boston breth- 
ren, containing very encouraging information. You de- 



196 MEMOIR OF 

served, and you shared the cordial esteem of the brethren 
of America, and I have no doubt but that you find more, 
if possible, than a counterpart in the affections of the 
brethren in England. Do not, however, amid the flow of 
the latter, forget that the former still remains. We are 
waiting anxiously the pleasure of welcoming you to our 
altars and fire-sides, and hope that you will determine 
here to winter, 

" Now, my dear brother, I must once more commend 
you to the care of our merciful Mediator. May you derive 
abundant profit from the communion of saints, and at last 
enter on the pure, uninterrupted, and everlasting com- 
munion in heaven. 

" The Lord bless you. "Write me soon and often, and 
when it is well with you, remember your affectionate 
brother, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

He rejoiced with those who rejoiced and wept with 
those who wept. When he learned that a friend was in 
affliction, all his sensibilities were aroused. If his loca- 
tion justified, an imimediate visit was the result, and the 
bleeding heart acknowledged its influence. If distance 
interposed, a letter, bearing on its secret page the stamp 
of affection and sympathy, was despatched to the mourner. 
The few letters here presented, may serve to illustrate this 
point of his character. 

" Philadelphia, April 13, 1813. 
" Dear Madam, 

*' Your favor, bearing date of the 1st instant, did not 
come to hand until yesterday, a short time before your 
brother exchanged this world for a better. I rejoice to 
leiarn that your heart has been placed on a gracious Re- 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 197 

deemer for life eternal, and am pleased with the anxiety 
you felt for the everlasting welfare of your brother. 

" I have reason to believe, that attendance on the wor- 
ship of the Lord first led his mind to serious meditation. 
I have been in the habit of attendinor him ever since his 
confinement, and have been gratified to see the work of 
the Lord gradually deepening on his heart. His inquiries 
appeared very sincere ; but not until a little before his 
decease did his soul attain to that holy consolation, which 
an entire reliance on a gracious Mediator creates. I was, 
however, fully satisfied that his impressions were real, and 
had no doubt of their result. I had a solemn interview 
with him and Mrs. S. alone, on Lord's day last, and 
another yesterday, an hour and a half before his death. 
He told me, 'All is arranged for this world, and what is 
infinitely better, I believe all is well for the world to come.' 
His confidence was exclusively on the name of the Lord 
Jesus. A short time before his departure, his soul was 
delightfully enlarged. He begged his wife, and mother, 
and friends, by no means to weep. He saw his interest in 
his Saviour. He knew, he said, he was going to everlast- 
ing glory, to the company of the blessed angels and saints. 
He had no fear. After which he cried out, * Lord Jesus, 
receive my spirit,' and calmly fell asleep. 

" I trust your heart will feel resigned to the stroke. 
Hope in the death of our dear relatives, is among the best 
consolations we can enjoy when they are gone from us. 
I trust Mrs. S. has experienced a saving change in her 
heart also." 

The letter that follows, addressed to the same lady, 
though not strictly of the same character as the former, is 
introduced here with a view of showing his opinions upon 
a subject of considerable interest. 
18 



198 M E M O I R O P 

"October, 21, 18U. 

" Dear Madam, 

" By your worthy mother, who, I learn, leaves this place 
for W., I do myself the pleasure of writing you a few lines. 
I rejoice to find that your heart glows with love to the Lord 
Jesus, and with anxiety for the promotion of his most bless- 
ed cause. His name is, to his people, as ointment poured 
forth ; and his cause is, and ought to be to us, dearer than 
our lives. We have reason to rejoice that amid the carnage 
of war, and the convulsions of nations, it makes its silent 
and triumphant way. Missionary and Bible institutions, 
multiply and prosper. The walls of Zion are rising, and 
the period is not distant, when all the ends of the earth 
shall see the salvation of God. 

" Your mind appears to have been greatly exercised on 
the diversity of sentiment prevailing among the sincere fol- 
lowers of the Lamb of God. Considering the various powers 
of the human mind in different individuals, the diversified 
measure of grace in the heart, and of application in the 
search of truth, the power of early prejudices, and the gen- 
eral imperfection of the present state, we cannot wonder 
that so great a variety in religious opinions exists. The 
Lord in his infinite wisdom permits it, and no change for 
the better, probably will occur, until, in the latter day glory, 
the watchmen see eye to eye. Yet even this variety in 
religious views is capable of being employed and improved 
to useful purposes. It should remind us of our frailty, 
provoke our investigation of the holy word of God, that in 
relation to duty and doctrine, we may be satisfied for our- 
selves, and urge to that spirit of forbearance and candor, 
in respect to others, which we claim on the behalf of our- 
selves. Certainly difference of religious views should never 
be permitted to originate animosity. 

" May the Lord guide you, by his blessed counsel, through 
this vale of tears, and at length receive you to his^ gloi7." 



DR. STAUGHTON. 199 

^'College Hill, D. C, November 4, 1824. 
" My dear friend, 

" I understand that last evening the remains of your be- 
loved Jane were committed to the silent mansion appointed 
for all living. The trial must have been peculiarly severe, 
and I rejoice to learn that you have thus far borne up under 
it with that resignation and fortitude, which becomes a 
disciple of the Lord Jesus. 

" Afflictions of this nature, through the tender arrange- 
ments of the God of mercy, do not come with their full 
force. You will yet feel that your child ' is not,' and per- 
haps may yet say, ' and I, whither shall I go V I have seen 
your sister this morning, whose eyes are streaming with 
sorrow. I told her I would write you. I wish I could offer 
some word fitly spoken, that might be found as ' apples of 
gold in pictures of silver.' 

'' Your Jane is not ; but remember your covenant God 
remains the same yesterday, to-day and forever. A summer 
stream has been dried up, but the ocean is as large and 
abundant as ever. His way may be hidden from us, but it 
is always righteous and best. You will one day see that 
your child has died precisely at the right season. She had 
her time to be born, and in that you rejoiced ; she has had 
her time to die, and the economy is as replete with wisdom 
and mercy, in one part of it as in another. What you 
know not now, you shall know hereafter. 

*' Your dear Jane is not; but what have you lost? Noth- 
ing but what you know was mortal. She, like ourselves, 
was born under the decree, ' dust thou art, and unto dust 
thou shalt return.' Had she lived a little longer, she had 
still been but a stranger and sojourner here. She has had 
the consolation, which, under other circumstances, she 
might not have had, of a kind mother's hand to wipe from 
her forehead the dew of death, and to administer every 



200 MEMOIROF 

comfort that affection could devise. And he who provides 
for our dying friends, will, when it is requisite, provide for 
us also. Nay, more, he himself will make all our bed in 
our sickness. Though gone, she still lives with you in the 
lovely children she has left behind, and whom, should it 
fall to your lot, yourself and brother M. will take pleasure 
in training up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

*' Jane is not : but where is she ? From what I have 
heard, she had ^;asted that the Lord is gracious, and com- 
mitted her spirit into the hands of the Redeemer. Let not 
then your thoughts delight to wander among the tombs. 
Let them rise to the heavenly state, and anticipate the day 
when your attachments shall be revived and refined, and 
be subject to no fear of separation forever. 

" It were easy to increase the topics which are calculat- 
ed to allay the effervescence of grief, and to calm the soul 
into holy submission. When your heart becomes over- 
whelmed within you, may you be lead to the rock that is 
higher than yourself Open the book of the Lord^ there 
you will find patience recommended and comfort adminis- 
tered. And recollect it is but a short time3 and our sor- 
rows and conflicts shall cease. Yet a little while and the 
soft hand of Jesus shall wipe away every tear. 

" My family unite with me in their affectionate sympa- 
thies. Present me affectionately to brother M. What if 

' Long nights and darkness dwell below, 

With scarce a twinkling ray ; 
Yet the bright world to which we go 

Is everlasting day.' 

*' Your brother in the kingdom and patience of Jesus, 

WM. STAUGHTON." 



DR. ST A U GUT ON. 201 

''Baltimore, May 24, 1829. 

" My dear sister, 

*' Miss C. who is staying awhile in Baltimore, inciden- 
tally mentioned yesterday, what before I had not heard, the 
decease of your excellent husband. I am sincerely sorry I 
could not, by the mingling of Christian sympathies, diminish 
your sorrows at the painful rupture of bonds that more than 
half a century had rendered you so much of domestic delight. 

*' Anxious to see my dear children, I came hither on the 
close of our business, transacted by our Convention and 
Board. I hope to be in Philadelphia by Wednesday next, 
at farthest. Still I cannot forbear weeping with those that 
weep. I should have been happy to have attended the 
funeral of a brother, whom I sincerely loved. I know full 
well that you feel yourself a widow sitting solitarily ; but 
forget not, your Maker is your husband. Be thankful the 
dear deceased was continued to you so long. It is only a 
little while, and you will meet again, to part no more for- 
ever. Consider how many mercies are left behind. Look 
on your amiable children and grand children, all of whom 
are anxious to contribute to your happiness. Meditate 
much on the promises of the divine word, particularly on 
the words, ' I will never leave thee ; I will never forsake 
thee.' The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are 
everlasting arms. Cast your burden on the Lord in the 
exercise of fervent prayer, and be assured that the Lord 
will help you, and strengthen you with the right hand of 
his righteousness. Consider too, that the whole is the 
Lord's doing. If a sparrow cannot fall, much less can a 
saint, without the will of a heavenly Father. I could mul- 
tiply topics of consolation ; but I know I am writing to one 
prepared to say, ' It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth 
good in his sight.' My children unite in tenderest sympa- 
thies. Present our affectionate regards to each of your 
18* 



202 MEMOIROF 

children. I hope in a few days to see you and all of them. 

Meanwhile, I pray the Lord may be your strength and 

your stay, your light and your salvation. 

" I am, my afflicted sister, your sincere friend and 

brother. 

WM. STAUGHTON." 

The reader will pardon the insertion of an incident 
which, though trifling in itself, nevertheless strikingly ex- 
hibits the. kindness of his heart. A short time before the 
decease of the Rev. Mr. Eastbourne, known extensively as 
a preacher at the Seaman's Bethel in Philadelphia, they 
became passengers together in the steam-boat from Balti- 
more to the former place. At that time Mr. Eastbourne 
was quite feeble. The old gentleman being without com- 
pany. Dr. Staughton paid very particular attention to him, 
to see that every want was supplied, and anticipated every 
wish. Mr. Eastbourne felt the kindness, and, with tears in 
his eyes, repeatedly said to some of the Doctor's friends, 
"Oh what a dear friend Dr. Staughton is, how he waited 
on me on board the boat ; on me, an old man, — what a 
Christian he is. It must have been the love of Christ that 
influenced him to be so kind to me, an old man." 

He had the confidence of his brethren from the North 
to the South, and from the East to the West, as far as his 
name was known, from whom he received testimonies of 
high respect and sincere aflection. To name his friends, 
would be to repeat the names of our wisest and holiest 
men. He stood deservedly high in the estimation of all 
who had the honor of his acquaintance, and were capable 
of appreciating moral worth, both in this country and in 
England. The following extract of a letter from a dis- 
tinguished individual, shows the high sense which he en- 
tertained of his valuable character and services in the cause 



DR. STAUGHTON. 203 

of truth. The letter was written to the Rev. Alva Woods, 
then soliciting funds in England, for the aid of the Colum- 
bian college. It is dated, 

''Bedford Square, October 10, 1822. 

** I am the more gratified by the perusal of your docu- 
ments, in observing, that my highly respected friend the 
Rev. Dr. William Staughton, has been chosen President 
of the college, whose character and talents so eminently 
qualify him for that important office. He was the compan- 
ion of my childhood ; and though I have not had the 
pleasure of seeing him for upwards of forty years, yet I 
have, on many occasions, heard of his rising reputation, 
and of his extensive and increasing sphere of usefulness in 
his adopted country. 

" As a small token of respect and affection for my old 
friend, the President, and of my cordial good wishes for 
the success of the Columbian college, I have to request 
your acceptance of twenty pounds, enclosed, towards its 
funds, which I should most gladly have increased but for 
numerous other claims. 

" With much respect, &c. 

JOSEPH BUTTERWOP.TH." 

His life v/as uniformly marked by independence and 
decision of character. When his judgment was once 
formed as to the path of duty, no difficulties could turn him 
aside, or shake his confidence in God. He was equally 
distinguished by a noble spirit of disinterestedness. During 
the period of his residence in Philadelphia, he received 
nothing for his laborious services as Corresponding Secre- 
tary of the General Convention. The sum of four hundred 
dollars, annually, was voted to him for this service ; but he 
permitted it to fall into the mission funds to aid in the great 
work of evangelizing the heathen. Money was never with 



204 MEMOIR OF 

him an object of concern. Through his efforts in teaching 
and the salary which he received from his church, his in- 
come was large ; but the whole was expended in the hospi- 
talities of his house, and in the advancement of benevolent 
works. 

His piety was unassuming and sincere. On one occa- 
sion, writing to a friend, he says: "Tidings have lately 
reached me from London, of the decease of one of the most 
excellent of mothers. She departed suddenly, the chariot 
descended and she almost instantly arose. Oh, for habitual 
preparedness for heaven.'^ On Sabbath morning at family 
worship, he uniformly read the eighty-fourth Psalm. And 
on Saturday evenings, he always remembered the mission- 
ary brethren in India, who were then about commencing 
their Sabbath. 

Such was his earnestness to reconcile those from whom 
he had not received kind treatment, that an old acquain- 
tance bitterly complained, that he neglected his friends to 
serve his enemies. A greater eulogium on his Christian 
character, could scarcely be offered. It was his delight to 
conceal, as far as possible, the infirmities of his brethren, 
and to reconcile their differences of judgment and feeling. 
He was emphatically a peace-maker ; and often, by the 
mildness and felicity of his interposition, he has succeeded 
in allaying the rising tempest of contention. His piety 
was not marked by gloomy austerity, it was cheerful, 
active and animating. He was remarkable for his cheer- 
fulness ; but this trait in him was constitutional, and, 
in the hand of God, it was overruled for the public good, 
as well as for his own encouragement. The Lord operates 
through instrumentalities of various kinds, and in this na- 
tive buoyancy of animal spirits was found a powerful aid 
in the support of his mind under every trial. 



DR. S T A U G II T O N. 205 

His spirit agonized for a blessing upon his pulpit labors. 
Walking home one Sabbath evening after the exercises of 
the day, he observed to his wife, " Oh how I desired, how 
I panted that the Lord would bless the word, to even one 
soul of the multitude ! Oh could they have had such views 
of the blessed Lamb as I had, surely love w^ould have con- 
strained them ! " This was not an occasional, but the habit- 
ual desire of his soul. His talents were not more splendid 
than his humility was lovely. His brother in Christ, the Rev. 
Mr. Peckworth, who was pastor of the Southwark Baptist 
church in Philadelphia, informed me, that for many years, 
every Saturday afternoon, the Doctor would visit him and 
converse upon the subject of their exercises for the follow- 
ing day. He made the proposition himself, and his first 
inquiry turned upon the passages of Scripture selected for 
their public addresses. He would then inquire of brother 
Peckworth, in what way he intended to illustrate them, and 
in the most delicate manner suggest some valuable hints. 
Then mentioning the passages from which he intended to 
speak, and exhibiting his plan, he would invite in return, 
the remarks of his brother, and receive any observations 
that might be offered, with affection and thankfulness. In 
this intercourse, which subsisted for many years, he mani- 
fested the simplicity of the child and the chastened piety 
of the old disciple. 

He would frequently sit and sing, with tears, the hymn, 

'' Wayfaring men and sojourners 

Are we, who seek the heavenly spheres, 

Nor do we here belong : 
Our certain dwelling place is where 
The Lamb's triumphant hosts appear. 

That dear redeemed throng, &c." 

He took great delight in singing it, and used to say, that 
every line was soul touching. 



206 MEMOIROF 

Another favorite hymn commenced with the words : 

" Not all the blood of beasts, 
On Jewish altars slain, &c." 

He loved it for its sweetness, its richness, its evangelical 
strain. This accounts for the fact, that he gave it out very 
frequently from the pulpit. The lines, 

" That powerful blood did once atone, 
And now it pleads before the throne," 

he has been often heard to repeat, and particularly the 
expressions, ^^ powerful blood." Of these words he was an 
enthusiastic admirer, and considered them the most im- 
pressive of any of the compositions of Dr. Watts. He loved 
to speak of the blood of Christ, he loved to contemplate its 
glorious sufficiency. He rejoiced that it was powerful 
blood. 

To exhibit the native dignity of the Mediator was with 
him a favorite point. Repeating at one time the words, 
" Who being the brightness of his glory" he said, "Oh! 
there is a richness in that passage, I cannot get at. I long 
to preach from it. I have tried, but cannot reach it." He 
was not in the habit of keeping a diary of his exercises. 
He was employed through life in better work. Yet occa- 
sionally, he made a note of the goodness of God on paper. 
He spent the winter of 1827, in a journey to the South to 
aid the Baptist Mission, and on his way met with a most 
wonderful escape from death. He records this in the fol- 
lowing passage : 

February 14. "Experienced a most wonderful preser- 
vation. ' Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within 
me, bless his holy name.' " 
• On the same page is another : 

January 10. " The fourth year of the decease of my 
dear wife. May my last end be like hers." 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 207 

His sentiments on the spirit of Christianity, may be seen 
in the extract from a letter which follows. It was written 
shortly after the news of peace arrived in this country. 

" Permit me to congratulate you on the return of peace. 
I most sincerely hope that our rulers will throw in no ob- 
stacles to its ratification. Surely the country, without any 
advantage, has bled long enough. How joyous, and yet 
how sure the hopes of the Christian ! Jesus must univer- 
sally reign. Of his dominion and peace, there shall be no 
end. Many of my brethren think they see the spirit of 
war, in the spirit of Christianity. I confess I have on this 
point so much of the Quaker about me, I cannot. If this 
were true, the more of Christianity in the world, the more 
a fighting disposition must be cherished. But its great 
Author says, ' I say unto you that ye resist not evil.' I 
believe that, to convert swords into ploughshares, and spears 
into pruning-hooks, nothing but the triumph of Christian 
principle is needed." 

He rejoiced to see his friends cherish a spirit of earnest 
devotion to God, and endeavored to promote it. In the 
same letter he says, " I am happy to find, that though absent 
from the means of grace, your soul is prospering in the 
divine life. Certainly no joy is like joy in God, no peace 
like peace addressed to the soul, through the blood of Jesus 
Christ. To live ever dependent on him, less than nothing 
in ourselves, and desirous of loving and obeying him con- 
tinually, approaches nearest to ' all we know of heaven,' 
of any course the mind can conceive." 

He loved to direct little children into the path of piety, 
and improved every opportunity to bring them to an ac- 
quaintance with the Saviour. His pen was ever at com- 
mand to contribute to their moral improvement, as the fol- 
lowing incident, poetically described, will prove. 



208 MEMOIR OF 

Conversation between a brother and sister, on the death of their cousin, 
a little girl of nine years of age. 

"Come hither, dear George, take a seat by the fire, 
Said Jane, and her brother sat instantly by her ; 
I will tell you, my love, a most sorrowful tale — 
She burst into tears, and her brother looked pale. 

" Recovering, she said, Cousin Mary is dead, 
I saw her this morning stretched out on the bed ; 
Her mouth and her dear little eyelids are shut. 
And she's cold as a stone, from the head to the foot. 

" On Saturday last, she was visiting us ; 

Going home, she caught cold, and grew afterwards worse ; 

As her fever was raging, and aching her head, 

* My Jesus will hasten to fetch me,' she said. 

'* The Minister, entering, said, ' Mary, my dear, 
]'m sorry to see you lie suffering here;' 
' Don't, say so,' she answered, ' the Lord is so good. 
He has washed out m^ stains in Jesus' blood.' 

" ' You love the Lord Jesus, then, Mary,' said he ; 
The tears came, she smiled and said, ^He has loved me, 
I shall praise and behold his dear countenance soon. 
In the place where jon say there's no need of the moon.' 

*• He prayed, while we all of us kneeled round the bed. 
On rising, we thought little Mary was dead ; 
But she opened her eyes, they looked all over bliss. 
And calling her mother, she gave her a kiss. 

" ^ Farewell, dearest mother,' we all heard her say, 
'And thank you for telling me Christ is the v/ay,' 

* Farewell, my dear Jane, and tell Georgy from me, 
That in glory, I pray, I may each of you see.' 

"Then she bade farewell all, and when turned on her side, 
' My Jesus,' she said, and then very soon died ; 
Oh George, let us pray, don't defer it too late. 
You're now turned of six, and I'm going on eight. 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 209 

'' Upon this, little George could no longer refrain — 
The tears tumbled down, and then, turning to Jane, 
The Lord will I seek, that he mercy may show, 
But you, my dear sister, must pray for me too." 

It was the constant aim of the deceased to advance the 
kingdom of Christ ; and hence, in all his public addresses, 
literary and theological, he impressed upon the minds of 
his hearers, and particularly upon the youthful part, the 
cuhivation of every noble affection. We give an extract 
from an address to the candidates for the degree of M. D. 
in the medical department of the Columbian College, de- 
livered March 16, 1826, which not only illustrates this 
remark, but shows him to be, what he uniformly was, the 
poor man's friend. - 

" Let me recommend to the cherishing of benevolent 
aifections. Let there be seen in your countenance, when 
you enter the chamber of disease, that mildness which will 
beguile the sorrowful heart, a mildness that shall fall sweet 
as the moonbeam on the midnight dew. A fair and liberal 
recompense for the expenses incurred in the acquisition of 
your education, and for the labors in which you may yet 
engage, is your reasonable claim, and, from a generous 
public, you will receive it ; but cases of distress and pov- 
erty will offer themselves to your charitable feeling, that 
you must not neglect. Be good Samaritans ! If the Priest 
and the Levite shall have passed by, deaf to the voice of 
misery, go, bind up the wounded, pour in your oil and 
your wine ; and if the ' half dead' cannot recompense you, 
you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. 
Boerhaave used to say, and I have often heard Dr. Rush 
repeat the sentiment with pleasure, ' I esteem the poor my 
most profitable patients, for God is their pay-master.' On 
one point, gentlemen, I must leave you to exercise your 
judgment, aftensimply intimating, that as far as my obser- 
19 



210 MEMOIR OF 

vation has extended, no physician was ever a loser in repu- 
tation or fortune, on account of his attending the family of 
a clergyman gratuitously. I offer no apology for any thing, 
which might appear, in relation to myself, personal in this 
remark. My relations to the college render it unneces- 
sary. 

" In the pursuit of your profession, you will not unfre- 
quently, judging from the history of eminent physicians, 
find occasions for vexation. Caprice may possibly induce 
a family to change their physician, to whom they owe their 
health, if not the continuance of their existence, for one to 
whom they owe nothing, and whose chief recommendation 
may be only a little brief empyrical confidence. Suffer no 
such occurrence to depress your spirits, much less to arouse 
indignant passions. We can do no other than take human 
nature as it presents itself The consciousness of the in- 
tegrity of your heart, and of the fidelity v/hich has govern- 
ed your exertions, will minister to your bosoms ample sup- 
port. Disdain the indulgence of a low spirit of rivalship. 
Superior to intrigue, let a manly independence, a generous 
openness characterize your conduct. You will find it 
command respect, widen the sphere of your practice, and 
preserve in your minds that delightful tranquillity, that tone 
of high and generous feeling, which are amongst the no- 
blest acquisitions of human nature. Slander, whether ma- 
licious or inconsiderate, ought ever to be considered as far 
beneath the real philosopher, as it is inconsistent with the 
profession of the sincere Christian." 

He was an attentive observer of passing events, and oc- 
casionally made a remark upon the aspect of political 
affairs. His opinion of the change of office made in the 
case of the Hon. Judge McLean will be felt by many to be 
perfectly just. It occurs in a letter to his son. 

*' Surely, surely, the President has erred. It will be 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 211 

found a step the most unhappy he could possibly have 
taken. I almost wept as I read your letter. The post 
office department has been visited with meteor and moon- 
beam, but it never saw the light of the sun, until the days 
of our inestimable friend." 

His constant aim was usefulness. The ** Marseilles 
Hymn" at one time awakened considerable interest in 
this country ; and he conceived its bold measure, with other 
sentiments, might be equally animating to the Christian, to 
urge him onward in the cause of glory, incorruptible and 
unfading. Several attempts of the same kind have been 
made, but none which I have seen will bear a comparison 
with this : 



'' Ye sons of God awake to glory, 

A host of foes before you lies, 
The saints renowned in sacred story, 

Behold them seize the g-littering prize. 
Shall frowns of earth, or hell's loud thunder, 

Afflict your bosom with dismay. 

Or chase you from the narrow way, 
While angels gaze with joy and wonder ? 

CHORUS. 

To arms, to arms, ye brave. 

See, see the standard wave, 

March on, march on, the trumpet sounds, 

For victory or death. 

" Launch out a feeble arm no longer. 
Rush, rush on contest, win the day ; 

The foe turns pale, the saint grows stronger, 
While great Immanuel leads the way : 

No more a hoard of terrors nourish. 
Nor seem of every hope bereft, 
For on the right hand and the left 

The heavenly tempered armies flourish. 

To arms, &c 



212 BIEMOIR OF 

" The treacherous world stands yonder smiling, 

And points to wealth's delight and fame, 
More venomed than the serpent coiling, 

She leads to anguish, want and pain : 
Fly her embrace, disdain her fury, 

What though her legions she engage ! 

From all the follies of her rage, 
The shield of faith can well secure ye. 

To arms, &c. 

'■ Do inward foes, thy path impeding, 

Through all thy members, shout for war ? 

Resist to blood, assured, though bleeding, 
You soon shall mount Elijah's car : 

Go crucify each bold invader. 

Drive firm the nail, deep plunge the spear, 
Bright eyes, bright hands, no longer dear, 

Pursue your great immortal Leader. 

To arras, &c. 

^'' March on, nor fear death's sable waters, 

The foe stands silent as a stone. 
While Jesus' ransomed sons and daughters 

Go through to claim the promised throne : 
White ropjes, and crowns of highest glory, 

Victorious palms, and endless songs. 

Friendship, with heaven's triumphant throng, 
And God's bright presence is before ye. 

To arms, &c." 

Thousands have been charmed with the well-known 
masic " Strike the cymbal." The words were composed 
by Dr. Staughton, at the request of Mr. Carr, of Philadel- 
phia, by whom the harmony was arranged. 

The following lines were written by him in a lady's al- 
bum : 

"You ask me, dear girl, in your album to write. 

The request I can never oppose ; 
But my muse, an old Eagle, deficient for flight, 

A paragraph wishes in prose. 



DR. ST AUGHT ON. 213 

I yield not to such inadmissible thing, 

I care very little about her ; 
And if she refuses to lend me her wing, 

I'll write you a stanza without her. 

" May the angel of health all your footsteps attend, 

May plenty her horn ever shed ; 
May the dews of the hills on your dwelling descend, 

And peace be the wreath of your head : 
May your choice be the virtuous ; as chooses the deer 

The stream that pellucidly flows, 
May your path be all verdant, your sky ever clear, 

And the bosom of God your repose 
May streams of salvation attend you below, 

A Saviour your constant protection, 
And when the last trumpet shall Gabriel blow, 

May you share in the first resurrection." 

A FABLE, 

Founded on fact, which occurred in the river Delaware, 
Feb. 27, 1821, when the motion of a fine steam-boat, 
commanded by Capt. Whilden, was impeded by a corn^ 
husk. 

" A boat, as proud as boat could be. 

Fit for a river, or a sea, 

Now blazed within with furious flame. 

Now poured in air the impatient steam ; 

Loosed from the wharf, she freedom feels. 

And whirls around her easy wheels — 

Full in the stream, she pompous cries, 

' On me see fixed a thousand eyes ; 

Volumes of smoke I fling behind, 

Despise the surge, and dare the wind. 

Avaunt, ye schooners, brigs, and ships. 

Leave me to my majestic trips ! 

Go, wait for tides, invoke the breeze ! 

Steam-boats despise such aids as these. 

The sun scarce travels through the sky. 

Surprised at such a power as I ; 

While every Nereid of the stream 

Is wondering whence or why I came.' 
19* 



214 MEMOIR OF 

" A husk of corn, late thrown away, 
No more with summer verdure gay, 
Mounting the stream with serious float, 
O'erheard the ostentatious boat : — 
' Vain, heated, vaporing thing ! ' she cried, 
' A withering husk shall check thy pride : 
For chastisement I see thee ripe,' 
Then entered the induction pipe. 

'' The boat is conscious of her sin, 
Mourns the calamity within. 
Flashes around the useless steam, 
Her levers rest their pond'rous beam ; 
Powerless and faint, herself she sees 
Moving where winds and waters please. 

MORAL 

'' Boast not of shape or kindled soul, 
A trifle can derange the whole : 
Humbly confess a Saviour's sway. 
And calmly trace thy destined way." 

The following is a jeu de mot, in which the Doctor ex- 
celled : Married, Jan. 24, 1811, by Rev. Wm. Staughton, 
Mr. William Applegate to Miss Diadema Thorn, both of 
Philadelphia. 

'' Lovers, ye well may envy them, 

Whom such fair ^oys adorn ; 
His hand receives a Diadem, 

And she has lost a Thorn." 



DR. S T A U G IT T O N. 215 



CHAPTER IX. 

An important change in the scene of his labors — proceedings of the 
General Convention in reference to it — chosen President of the 
Columbian college — his qualifications for this station — death of 
Mrs. Staughton — letters of sympathy. 

In pursuing the history of the deceased, our attention is 
now directed to an important change that occurred in the 
scene of his labors. We have already stated the origin of 
the Baptist Education Society for the Middle States, but 
we must recur to its subsequent progress. 

To embody the efforts of the denomination in one insti- 
tution, was thought by many to be a desirable measure. 
The Rev. Dr. Furman, of Charleston, S. C, was, for 
several successive periods, President of the Baptist Gene- 
ral Convention. He submitted, at the triennial meeting 
in 1817, a plan of education to the Convention, which 
plan was referred to the Board. The Board appointed a 
committee to consider it, and report. In July of the same 
year, the Education Society addressed a letter to the 
Board, offering their immediate co-operation in accom- 
plishing the objects contemplated by the Convention. 
This offer was accepted, and the Rev. William Staugh- 
ton, D. D., was appointed Principal of the Institution, and 
the Rev, Irah Chase, A. M., Professor of Languages and 
Biblical Literature. 

At a meeting of the Board, held in New York, in Au- 
gust, 1818, further measures were adopted, and a plan 



216 MEMOIROF 

devised for the consideration of the churches. In the 
address of the Board to the Convention, assembled in 
Philadelphia, in the year 1820, we have a condensed view 
of their proceedings up to that time. 

" From a serious consideration of the duty enjoined in 
the fourteenth article of the Constitution, and particularly 
from the communication made by the President of the 
Convention, at the last triennial meeting, the Board felt 
it their duty to ' bring to full effect,' as early as practi- 
cable, the subject of assisting the education of such pious 
young men as appear to be called of God to the vv^ork of 
the ministry. The plan submitted to the Convention vi^as 
referred to a committee of the Board, who, after a delay of 
twelve months, stated in their report, that ' they approve, 
in the main, highly of the plan the President proposed, 
and are of opinion that it will, ultimately, in substance, 
probably, in a few years, be found in successful operation.' 
They, however, stated, that ' until it can be accomplished, 
and for its accomplishment very ample funds must be ob- 
tained, something may be done that will prepare the way 
for more comprehensive measures.' The expressions 
' competent and distinct funds,' used in the Constitution, 
were understood by the Board to intend funds distinct 
from those collected for missionary purposes, that should 
be found competent for commencing, rather than for com- 
pleting, an institution of the kind contemplated ; and were 
of opinion, that scarcely any thing would more usefully 
lead on the design to the wished for perfection, than the 
diffusion of pious young men among the churches, who 
might be assisted in their education, and whose profiting 
should appear to all. The Board endeavored to call in 
the sentiments and co-operation of Education societies, 
and of brethren and churches around, that might aid in 
the work. They held, for this purpose, a special meeting 



DR. ST AUGHT ON. 217 

in New York, in August, 1818, when the subject was 
taken into solemn consideration ; a plan sketched for the 
perusal of churches and associations, subject to any 
changes or modifications, which their judgment and piety 
might suggest ; and proper provisions made for the ac- 
commodation of students, and the temporary superinten- 
dence of their education. A considerable number of 
young men have already entered, some on their own foun- 
dation, but most of them depending on the distinct funds 
that have been, and shall yet be collected, for their edu- 
cation and support. The Board has reason to believe 
that much good has already been done, and they trust that 
the Convention will be guided by divine wisdom in all the 
measures on this important subject, which they may be led 
to adopt. It has been stated to them by the Agent, that a 
lot has been procured in Washington city, peculiarly 
eligible for the erection of suitable buildings for the insti- 
tution. The Board are aware of many advantages that 
would attend such a location, but have resolved to leave 
the subject entirely to the decision of the Convention.*' 

At this meeting of the Convention, the following resolu- 
tions were passed : — 

" 1. Resolved, That the institution for the education of 
Gospel ministers, be located at the city of Washington, or 
in its vicinity, in the District of Columbia ; and that the 
Board be directed to cause its removal thither, whenever 
suitable preparations shall be made for its reception in that 
place, and when, in their opinion, such removal shall be 
expedient. 

" 2. Resolved, That this Convention accept of the 
premises tendered to them for the site of an institution 
for the education of Gospel ministers, and for a college, 
adjoining the city of Washington ; and that the Board be 
directed to take measures, as soon as convenient, for ob- 



218 MEMOIR OF 

taining a legal title to the same ; and that the Board be 
further directed to keep the institution, already in a state 
of progress, first in view, and not to incur expenses be- 
yond the amount of funds which may be obtained for the 
establishment of either of the institutions." 

To the Presidency of this college, the Rev. Dr. Staugh- 
ton was unanimously elected. At a subsequent period the 
following resolution was passed by the Board of Trustees. 

" Resolved, That the President of the college be Pro- 
fessor of General History, Belles Lettres, Rhetoric and 
Moral Philosophy in the Classical, — and of Divinity and 
Pulpit Eloquence in the Theological Department." 

In the month of September, 1821, the Theological De- 
partment was removed from Philadelphia to Washington. 
On the 9th of January, 1822, the President, Professors 
and Tutors, were solemnly inducted by the President of 
the Board of Trustees, into their respective offices ; and 
the Classical Department was opened on the second 
Wednesday of the same month. 

Dr. Staughton, the Presideiit, did not remove from 
Philadelphia, until the autumn of 1823, but supplied his 
place by an occasional visit of a few weeks. 

For this high and responsible station, the subject of this 
Memoir was eminently qualified. His mind seemed to be 
prepared for every emergency. His taste was of the 
highest and most delicate order, delicate as his own sensi- 
bilities ; his invention was rich and rapid, and his imagin- 
ation of the finest brilliancy. Few men have been favored 
with a memory so retentive, and, at the same, with a judg- 
ment so profound. To him it was no task to ascertain 
the merits of a question. He saw every bearing, viewed it 
in all its combinations, and before most men would have 
passed the threshhold, he had visited the whole interior and 
formed his decision. Of others, who have gained the sum- 



D K. S T A U G H T O N. 219 

mit of eminence, and whose writings prove their indefati- 
gable exertions, as well as native vigor of mind, it may be 
said, they lived in the closet. Dr. Staughton lived in the 
Jield. Action was his motto, and his success proves how 
strictly he maintained it. Not favored, as many have 
been, with early education, he rose, principally, by his 
own exertions ; and though through life he labored to 
support his family, and engaged in teaching, preaching 
and visiting, to an extent which few are capable of sup- 
porting, yet his knowledge was of a very comprehensive 
character. His readinor was extensive : there were but 
few books on literature, science, philosophy or theology, 
which he had not read with attention and profit. The 
classics were familiar to him ; and yet it is a fact, known 
but by a few of his friends, that he never received a lesson 
in Greek. His translations were distinguished by peculiar 
smoothness and spirit. Among his papers, I find the fol- 
lowing beautiful translation of Martial's Epigram, book iv. 
ep. 49, W'ith some remarks appended. 

^' Among the boughs the unconscious viper creeps, 
While each sad poplar precious amber \veeps ; 
The reptile pausing on the Heliad bloom, 
Wonders and dies, the Concrete drops his tomb. 
Insidious queen ! thy monument resign. 
Vipers have nobler sepulchres than thino." 

In order to a perception of the beauty of the point of 
the epigram, it should be remembered that the Heliades 
were the daughters of the Sun and Clymene. The catas- 
trophe which befel their brother Phaston, so affected them, 
that as they stood weeping on the banks of the Po, they 
were changed into poplars, and their tears into the finest 
amber. It is proper also to observe, that when Cleopatra 
fled from the battle of Actium into Egypt, she shut herself 
up in a most magnificent sepulchre, which she had built, 
where she perished by the bite of an asp. 



220 MEMOIR OF 

He published an edition of Virgil with Notes, which 
has been highly approved, and extensively adopted in the 
education of youth. The natural sciences presented a 
wide field to his view, and he explored it with fervor and 
advantage. He gave frequent lectures to his classes on 
Natural History, and occasionally illustrated by a morning 
visit to the Museum of Mr. Peale, in Philadelphia. His 
pupils will long remember these seasons with pleasure. 
In the science of Botany he was at home, and here the 
elegance and delicacy of his mind, the fervor of his im- 
agination, and the charm of his eloquence, had ample flow. 
The flowers of the garden and the field were his favorite 
friends ; he loved to converse with them, and to make 
them speak the wisdom, the goodness, and the power of 
their author. Even now, I seem to hear their voice, 
which years ago fell upon my ear most sweetly, as he 
unfolded their character, from the delicate germ to the 
finished fruit, 

" The hand that made us is divine.''' 

The following pleasing piece from his pen, appeared in 
the National Gazette, at Washington, on the 25th of 
April, 1824. 

To the Editors of the National Gazette. 

^' Gentlemen, 

" On entering into the House of Representatives this 
morning, I saw on the left of the Speaker, a fine branch, 
as I thought it, of the Amygdalus nana, or flowering 
almond. I felt for the branch, — it seemed to me in the 
presence of the great council of our nation, to blush a 
deeper tint and to say, 

' How came I thus — how here V 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 221 

Ah, thought I, lovely flower, I wish I could tell you, but 
I cannot. Involuntarily my mind was turned to the cir- 
cumstance. It cannot be, said I to myself, to set off the 
person or the talents of the venerable Speaker. The for- 
mer is manly, and the latter unsurpassed. Perhaps, thought 
I, some motion is about to be made for enriching the Wash- 
ington Botanical Garden, but no speaker on the floor said 
a word concerning botany ; had they, I should have been 
delighted, for plants and flowers are my much-loved friends. 
I asked myself again, is that sweet flower designed to 
teach our great men a moral lesson, that man, in his high- 
est glory, is destined, as the flower, to fade ? If so, the 
emblem is excellent. I could not admit the idea, that as 
this kind of flower never produces fruit, it could for a mo- 
ment intimate the idea of sterility, either in the bodies or 
the minds of the fine assembly of men that were before me. 

" Perhaps, thought I, it is meant to intimate, that in the 
House of Representatives the members are almost all in 
the vigor of vernal glory. Gentlemen, tell me, was the 
conjecture right or not 1 If correct, permit me to beg of 
you to recommend that on the table of the President of the 
Senate there be set plates of fine ripe oranges, figs, raisins, 
and almonds. It will convey at once a beautiful and cor- 
rect idea of the character of the two Houses — in the one 
you have the opened but not unproductive flower — in the 
other the consolidated fruit. 

'' Happily for my anxieties, I found, I suspect, the mean- 
ing of the symbol. The early discussion of the day turned 
on the propriety of bringing the business of Congress to a 
close. The beautiful flower seemed to me to have caught 
the object of its location, and to say, with alternate pale- 
ness and blushes on its cheek, 

'Welcome the coming — speed the going guest.' " — Visitor. 

20 



222 MEMOIR OF 

The mathematical branches he taught, with great suc- 
cess, for many years, and delivered frequent courses of 
lectures on Natural Philosophy. He stood almost alone in 
his day in that plan of public instruction, which is now so 
extensively developed through the medium of Lyceums and 
Mechanic Institutes. He was a member of the American 
Philosophical Society, a society composed of none but 
those who have distinguished themselves in science. But 
that which most adorned his character, was the application 
of his vast resources to the advancement of the kingdom 
of Christ. 

When the Columbian college received its existence in 
the deliberations of the General Convention, every eye was 
turned upon him as the man under whose talents and 
weight of character the institution was to take its stand 
among the first in our country. Shortly after his accept- 
ance of this responsible and useful station, and previously 
to his removal, a most afflictive event occurred in his 
family. His partner and bosom companion was called to 
her eternal reward. After an illness of about one week, 
she departed in the triumphs of faith. They had lived for 
thirty years together in uninterrupted harmony and affec- 
tion, and his heart received in this providence a stroke 
from which it never recovered. He bore the separation 
with astonishing firmness and resignation. No murmur 
escaped his lips, and long will his heavenly conversation 
be remembered by those who heard him, while the prepara- 
tions were makino; for the funeral solemnities. All classes 
sympathized with him in his bereavement ; and though the 
day on which she was buried was unusually inclement, and 
a heavy snow was falling at the time, the streets to a con- 
siderable distance were crowded with solemn observers of 
the scene. The ministers of the diiferent denominations, 
upwards of thirty in number, attended, to pay their last re- 



DR. S T A U G II T O N. 2*23 

spects to the deceased, with whom many of them were per- 
sonally acquainted. Her kindness to the numerous friends 
who visited their house, her efforts to promote the comfort 
of theological students, her connexion with many of the 
benevolent societies of the day, and her unwavering at- 
tachment to the interests of Zion, have formed for her 
memory a place in the hearts of a large circle of society, 
and demand in this Memoir a suitable notice. We 
subjoin an account of her dying experience, in a letter 
from her bereaved companion to the Rev. Dr. Allison : 

" My dear brother, 

" You request me to communicate to you some account 
of the departure of one, who, for nearly thirty years, had 
been the companion of my cares and consolations. For 
several months before her decease her health was imper- 
fect. She spent the last summer in a country situation, 
with evident advantage, and, at the time she was taken 
sick, appeared no more indisposed than usual. 

" On the morning of Saturday, the 4th of January last, 
while sitting by the bed-side of our afflicted niece, minis- 
tering with anxious kindness to her relief, she said, ' O, 
how chilly I feel ; I never felt more cold in my life.' We 
advised her to lie down, and gave her some warm drinks. 
The chilly sensation for a few moments subsided, but was 
followed shortly by another, equally severe. At length a 
profuse perspiration ensued. No alarm was created until 
the succeeding night, when a third chill was experienced, 
more intense than the preceding. She considered it the 
forerunner of approaching dissolution. It proved to be 
the introduction of a decided typhus fever. 

" For many weeks before her sickness her mind appear- 
ed to have become more heavenly than before. She was 
much engaged in reading the Scriptures, much in medita- 



224 MEMOIR OF 

tion, much in prayer. The world seemed to have lost the 
power of distressing or amusing. Her conversation was 
delightful, and her hopes of heaven firm and joyous. I 
never saw a stronger exemplification of what the Apostle 
denominates, being made meet for an inheritance among 
the saints in light. With perfect tranquillity she said, 
' The will of the Lord be done.' 

" Her illness continued about six days. In its early 
stages her mind discovered a holy thoughtfulness. She 
obs6rved that ' death was a serious visitation, and trying to 
nature.' She felt no desire for rapture, content that her 
bark should calmly enter the desired haven. Anxious to 
glorify her Redeemer, in her affliction, she said to her 
nurse, 'If, through the weakness of nature, you discover 
any thing in me like impatience, do tell me, and I will 
pray for strength to overcome it.' She frequently said, ' I 
feel grateful for affectionate friends — O, how good is the 
Lord to me.' After a night somewhat restless, she, in the 
morning, addressed her beloved daughters: 'O, my dear, 

dear children, my dear L -, my dear E— — , don't be 

fascinated with this present world. Set your thoughts on 
heavenly things.' Having mentioned a sweet idea that 
had come to her mind, and being unable to repeat it, she 
said, 'O, it is in my dear James' last letter.' I presume 
the following is the passage to which she referred : ' I was 
happy to receive a letter from your dear hand. Don't dis- 
tress yourself. I am in the path of duty, and under the 
ever-watchful eye of Providence." 

"With the increase of disease, she was favored with an 
increase of consolation. I continued, as well as my sor- 
rows would permit, to pen down her expressions, with the 
hope that they might prove useful, at least to myself and 
my children. 

'^ On Thursday, the day preceding that on which she 



DR. STAUGHTON. 225 

died, I asked her, ' My dear Maria, do you feel happy in 
your mind ?' She answered, ' I think I do.' ' You know m 
whom you have believed V 'I trust I do?' * Is your mind 
stayed on the Lord Jesus?' 'I trust it is.' 'You were 
taught early to believe in his name.' ' I believe I was 
taught to commit my soul into His hands. He is my only 
strength, my only comfort.' In the afternoon, at a moment 
when I was absent from the room, she said, ' Where is dear 
father ;' for so she familiarly called me ; ' tell him not to 
distress himself, for it will be all well with me.' To her 
weeping daughters, she said, ' My dear, dear children, you 
will soon be without a mother ; but the Lord will take care 
of you.' Addressing her niece, whom she adopted when 
an infant, she observed, ' My dear A. you are called upon 
to give me up.' She replied with tears, ' I am obliged to 
do it.' She answered, ' O, my child, you should not say 
you are obliged ; you ought to do it voluntarily.' 

"Friday, the day of release to my invaluable saint, was 
to her a day of holy triumph. Early in the morning, she 
said to me, ' My dear, a change is coming !' I answered, 
'I hope it may prove a change that will give you back 
again to us.' She calmly replied, ' Earth or heaven, as my 
Father pleases.' The nature of her indisposition induced 
such a prostration of strength, that she was unable to give 
utterance to the sacred pleasures she enjoyed. She re- 
peatedly said, ' O could I tell ! I'd tell! I would, but can- 
not.' O, my brother, how cold, how worthless, how hate- 
ful the creed of an infidel ! How deep the gloom that in 
death surrounds him ! If, at any period more than another, 
I pitied and abhorred the destiny and pretensions of the 
deist, it was while weeping by the side of my Maria, while 
she stood 

' With her starry pinions on, 

Dressed for the flight, and ready to be gone.' 

20* 



226 M E M O I R O F 

If ever I valued 'the glorious gospel of the blessed God,' 
with most admiring gratitude, it was when I heard her say, 
' I am easy, I am going to repose in the arms of my Re- 
deemer. The angels are already waiting.' 

" With a desire of soliciting all I could from her dying 
lips, without adding to her weakness, I said, ' My dear, you 
feel happy ;' she added, ' I do, I do.' ' You find Jesus 
precious ;' she said, 

'■ My transport and my trust, 

Jewels to thee ! Jewels to thee i * * * » 

after a short pause, while she could recover a little strength, 

she added, 

' are gaudy toys ! 

And gold is sordid dust !' 
A few moments afterwards, with a heavenly smile, 

' And dying clasp thee in my arms, 
I die in the arms of Jesus !' 

Among the numerous sentiments she expressed on this 
never-to-be-forgotten day, were the following: 

' Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, , 

Stand drest — stand drest ' 

' Rivers of love and mercy there 
In a rich ocean join.' 

On her uttering the words, ^ And linger, linger,' a Christian 
sister said, ' Is Mrs. Staughton afraid to launch away V 
She said, 'No, I am not. Sweet Jesus, come! come!' 

" Several passages of scripture were a firm support to 
her mind, particularly the text, ' Underneath are everlast- 
ing arms.' She often repeated, ' I feel underneath his 
everlasting arms." The passage also, ' We have not a High 
Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our in- 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 2*27 

lirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are.' 
She appeared to enter into the meaning of the word, 
* touched,' and when she was unable to repeat the text, 
would say, ' touched ! touched !' 

' Touched with a sympathy within, 
He knows our feeble frame.' 

" In the course of the day she cried out, ' Miracle ! 
miracle ! miracle !' A kind friend standing by her, said, 
'What! a miracle of grace?' 'O yes,' she replied, 'a 
miracle of grace !' Her disease was attended with an in- 
satiable thirst. Apologizing for requesting so frequently a 
little water, she observed, ' I shall soon drink of streams 
that never dry. There is a river whose streams make glad 
the city of our God. I shall soon drink at the fountain. 
No pain there ; no thirst there ; I shall be free ! I shall be 
free!' 

" Perceiving that nature was sinking, I asked her what 
I should say to our dear James, now in Europe, between 
whom and his dear mother, as you well know, a more ten- 
der interchange of maternal and filial love could scarcely 
exist; she said, 'His mother's blessing. I hope to meet 
him in glory.' And what to Mr. Rice? 'I love Mr. Rice; 
the Lord bless him ; the Lord bless the mission ; the Lord 
bless the college.' 

*•' She was told the Lord had long been her supporter, 
and that though she walked through the valley of the 
shadow of death, she need fear no evil. She added, ' I 
fear none ! His rod and his staff comfort me.' On being 
asked, by a kind attendant, whether in the prospect of 
death, she could resign her husband, and children, and 
niece, into the hands of God; she said, ' Yes, I can, 'tis all 
that I can do, but I can do it.' Some of the last words 
she uttered, were, ' Ten thousand, thousand pleasures ; O, 



228 MEMOIR OF 

ten thousand, thousand ! Joy unspeakable and full of glory.' 
When speech was no longer at her command, on being 
told that I was standing by her side, she protruded her 
lips to kiss me. I left the tender adieu, uttering in my full 
heart, the sweet lines of Bishop Lowth : 

' Cara, Maria, vale ; at veniet felicius sBvum 
Quando iterum tecum, sim modo dignus, ero.'* 

" She continued apparently engaged in prayer, her lips 
moving, and her hands occasionally raised, until about 
twenty minutes before twelve o'clock, when she softly fell 
asleep. 

'' My dear brother, you have known her long and inti- 
mately. I need not remind you of her wisdom and tender- 
ness as a parent and friend. I need not call up to your 
recollection her zeal and services in the mission cause, in 
reference to Bible institutions, or to the promotion of sound 
learning among pious youth, destined to serve in the sanc- 
tuary. My loss is great ; but it is the Lord who has oc- 
casioned the void I feel. You have experienced a similar 
bereavement; yet. He has sustained you. I find relief in 
reflecting on the mercies I am still permitted to enjoy. 
My amiable children are left. Never could a church dis- 
cover more sincere and lively sympathies towards its af- 
flicted pastor, than my beloved brethren and sisters in 
Sansom-street, manifested. I pray they may be recom- 
pensed a thousand fold ! I am sincerely grateful for the 
sympathetic consideration of the trustees, the faculty, and 
the students of the Columbian college, and to the numer- 
ous inhabitants of Philadelphia, who, on an inclement day, 
thronged to witness the burial of one, dear to yourself, 
and still dearer to your affectionate brother, 

WM. STAUGHTON." 

* Dear Mary, farewell ; but a happier time shall come, when 1 
shall again be with thee, should I only be worthy of you. 



DK. STAUGHTON. 229 

The following resolution was passed by the Board of 
Trustees of the college, upon receiving the intelligence of 
her death : 

^'Resolved, unanimously, That this Board sincerely con- 
dole with the President of the college, the Rev. Dr. 
Staughton, in the afflicting stroke of Divine Providence, 
which has bereft him of an amiable and affectionate com- 
panion — his children of the best of mothers — this institu- 
tion of a cordial friend — society of an invaluable member — 
and the church of God of one of its brightest ornaments : 
and that the Rev. President be requested to accept this 
expression of our warmest sympathies, and assurance of 
our fervent prayers, that God, in his infinite goodness, will 
sustain him and his family under this trying dispensation, 
and sanctify it to their everlasting benefit." 

The students of the Columbian college presented their 
sympathies, in a style that alike honored their intellectual 
merit and their moral feeling. 

'' Columbian College, Jan. 15, 1823. 
** Reverend Sir, 

" The students in this institution, cherishing for your- 
self, as its President, sentiments of affectionate regard, 
cannot but be deeply interested in every thing which 
affects your happiness. In this hour of sorrow, therefore, 
they feel it to be alike the dictate of their hearts, and ap- 
propriate to the relation which they sustain, to address 
you, with the expression of their respectful sympathy. The 
loss which you have sustained they are not able justly to 
appreciate. To most of them your lamented lady was 
personally a stranger ; yet they cannot but feel, that by 
her decease they have themselves been deprived of an 
affectionate friend, whose speedy accession to a station 
where her warm and kindly feelings, and her masculine 



230 MEMOIROP 

intellect, might be more directly exerted for their welfare, 
they had loved to anticipate. They, therefore, cannot 
deem it an intrusion, to mingle their sorrows with your 
own, on this mournful occasion. They are aware of the 
impotence of human sympathy ; and they feel themselves 
inadequate, were it requisite or befitting their character 
and age, to offer the language of consolation. They re- 
joice to believe that the sacred truths and the cheering 
promises, which you have so long unfolded to others, have 
breathed into your own bosom a 'peace which the world 
cannot give,' and enabled you to hear, in this solemn mes- 
sage, ' the voice which Jesus sends,' to summon his saints 
from the sorrows of life to the fulness of joy and immor- 
tality of heaven. 

"As an expression of their respect for the memory of 
Mrs. Staughton, the students have voted to wear crape on 
the left arm for thirty days. To yourself. Sir, with the as- 
surance of their sincere condolence, they beg leave to offer 
their affectionate wishes for your happiness ; with their 
hope that they may be soon permitted, in the Providence 
of God, to be taught by your paternal counsels and exam- 
ple, how to discharge with honor the duties of life, and to 
sustain its calamities, with the patience of a ' hope full of 
immortality.' 

"With great respect. Sir, 

" We are your obedient servants, 

"JAMES D. KNOWLES, 

" On behalf of a committee of the students. 

Rev. Dr. William Staughton, Philadelphia." 

The answer returned to this letter breathes a sweet, de- 
voted spirit, and an unaffected desire for their present and 
everlasting prosperity. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 231 

''Philadelphia, Jan. 21, 1823. 

" Dear Sir, 

" I cannot give utterance to the emotion with which I 
received your favor of the loth, in behalf of a committee 
of the students of the Columbian college. Could sorrow 
be removed by participation, the mass which has recently 
pressed on my soul had been borne away. It is already 
diminished by the sense I possess of the rectitude and ex- 
cellency of the Divine Government, and by the generous 
sympathies of the students of the college, who have learned 
to feel before they are called to suffer. The examinations 
which I have had the pleasure of attending, convinced me 
of the superiority of their intellectual improvement. I had 
not anticipated so early a demonstration of their attention 
to the culture of the heart. I shall never look on the left 
arm of any of the amiable band, without recollecting the 
obliaations under which I am laid. 

" To most of them my deceased companion was un- 
known. Acquaintance, nevertheless, I am satisfied, would 
have detracted nothing from the impression of her desert. 
She was not less a friend of science than a disciple of 
Jesus. It was her expectation, — but O how vain is human 
calculation, — that she should have slept in your cemetery 
until the resurrection of the just. She has bequeathed 
to the college her anxious blessing. 

*' Her last illness was short, but it was associated with 
a calm, far different from what an inflexible philosophy can 
pretend. It was softened by the promises of inspiration, 
by the rays of Heaven, by the vision of her Saviour. The 
victory of the grave is too trivial and transient to deserve 
the name. 

" I beg of you to present to the students every assur- 
ance of the gratitude of a heart, that has long combined 
the welfare of youth with its most elevated desires. Pur- 



232 MEMOIR OF 

suing their present course of assiduity in their studies, and 
of respect for the laws of the Institution, the fond hopes of 
their parents and guardians will be substantiated, and the 
Columbian college, with innocent pride, rejoice that she 
has contributed to the fairest interests of the Republic. ^ 
And assure them that ifAa^ religion alone is worthy their 
veneration and grasp, which can enable its possessor, in 
the immediate view of death and eternity, to say, ' To 
,me, to live is Christ, and to die, is gain.' 

" With sentiments of the most cordial esteem, I am, 
dear Sir, yours, respectfully, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON," 

A friend in Washington, writing to her son then in 
Europe, closes by saying, '^ Think not, my dear friend, 
that your immediate family are the only mourners on this 
occasion. The church of Christ, the Mission, the Edu- 
cation Society, and the cause of piety and virtue, have 
lost a warm and zealous patron, a friend, and mother. As 
far as she was known is her death lamented. ' The 
memory of the just is blessed.' " 



D U. S T A U II T O N. 233 



CHAPTER X. 

His characler as a parent — resignation of the pastoral office of the 
Sansom-street church. 

In kindness and affection, in all that gives value to the 
comforts of domestic life, Dr. Staughton was a bright ex- 
ample. He asked no higher earthly favor, than to be sur- 
rounded by his family. It was astonishing, that, amid his 
various labors, he could find so much time to be with them. 
For many years it was his uniform custom, to rise in sum- 
mer at four o'clock, and in winter at five, to pursue his 
studies ; by that means enabling himself to spend a short 
time occasionally with his family. It was even the aim, 
both of Mrs. Staughton and himself, to make their children 
feel, that they were not in the presence of rigid parents, but 
with their friends. His motto was, " Make your commands 
as few as possible, but what you direct have it obeyed." 
He despised the rod for correction ; he used to say, that 
it was an appeal to the baser part of their nature ; 
and many very sprightly controversies has he held on the 
passage, '' Spare the rod, and spoil the child." He was 
peculiarly anxious for his only son, being fully aware that 
many temptations were presented to young men, particu- 
larly in a large city. He would take him to public lectures 
on Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, &c. ; he had him in- 
structed in music and drawing, and by every possible 
means he endeavored to lead his mind from the dangerous 
fascinations to which the young are exposed. He ever 
desired, that his children, like himself, should consider 
ho7}ie, as beyond any spot that earth could present. 
21 



234 RI E ]\I O I R O F 

He was not only anxious that they should rise amiable, 
accomplished and virtuous members of society, but that 
they should become disciples of the ascended Redeemer. 
How often did the ardent prayer arise, that they might be 
children of the living God ! Their eternal interests lay 
near his heart. 

In a letter, written in the year 1814, on board a steam-boat 
to Baltimore, to his eldest daughter, he says, " I hope my 
dear L. will endeavor to do every thing to make her mamma 
comfortable and happy. Be always affectionate and kind 
to your brother and sister. I know your heart is naturally 
kind, but take care that no bad habits destroy that kind- 
ness. Such habits are easily contracted, not easily lost, 
and always injurious. I hope, too, my dear daughter will 
be found among the daughters of Jerusalem. You have 
often heard, and you may read it in the best of books, that 
you have gone astray from God, as a lost sheep. We all by 
nature wander from him ; but he has sent his beloved Son 
to seek and to save that which is lost. May you have a 
heart to love and fear him. T, at one time, thought of hav- 
ing put on the grave-stone of the dear little brother you 
never saw, what I hope you may experimentally feel, 

' 'Twas to save thee, child, from dying. 
Save my dear from burning flame, 
Bitter groans and endless crying, 
That the great Redeemer came !' 

" Philadelphia, May 30, 1828. 
" My ever beloved child, 

*' Mr. L. has just called to inform me, that you have had 
another attack of disease, but the Doctor thinks you are bet- 
ter. God grant that it may be the case. I do hope I may re- 
ceive a letter by mail of to-day. If your sickness does not 
subside very soon, you will see your poor old father. 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 5^35 

*' May the blessed Jesus comfort your heart. You have 
nothing, my precious creature, to fear. All is well. Yours, 
' While life, or thought, or being last.' 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

In another letter he writes ; 

" My beloved child, 

" I was very happy to receive a line or two from you by 
the mail of yesterday, and the more so, as it announced 
your freedom from pain, and your prospect of recovery. I 
hope all our wishes may be realized. I believe, had Sam- 
uel's letter come an hour earlier, I should have taken the 
steam-boat, and have hurried to see you. I would have of- 
fered a father's affectionate sympathies, if no more. The 
Lord in his infinite mercy abundantly bless you." 

One of the most painful circumstances of his life, was 
absence from his children. He had, at one time, the com- 
pany of his eldest grand-child, which seemed to diminish 
the sorrow of his heart, in consequence of separation from 
his own children. Writing to her mother, he observes, 

*' I sometimes feel half sorry, solely on your account and 
Samuel's, that you have not her with you ; but she receives, 
as you know, and will receive, the most incessant and 
tenderest attention. Her company here is inappreciably 
desirable. Amid your domestic cares, some little portion 
is taken off by her absence ; and you will, as well you can, 
pity a poor old man, who though he have three children, 
has not one by his side when his head aches, or his heart 
aches, to say, ' Pa, I sympathise with you.' 

•' I am very anxious to hear of the improvement of your 
health. God Almighty bless you forever and ever. 

" I am, my beloved child, your very affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 



236 MEMOIR OF 

His letters to his son while in Europe, discover not only 
the affectionate parent, but the devout Christian. 

" Philadelphia, June S, 1822. 
*' My ever dear James, 

" On Monday, the 10th, the Unicorn is advertised for 
sailing. As to-morrovi^ I expect to preach three times, and 
as I knovi^ not the hour on Monday, at which the letter-bag 
may be removed, I take time by the fore-lock, and write 
you to-day. Mr. L. and myself rose between four and five 
in the morning, after you left us. We thought we saw the 
Philadelphia, near the Pea-patch, hoisting her sails. We 
threw a thousand good wishes after you, and, I trust, a fer- 
vent prayer to heaven for your preservation. Your Cape 
letter came safe to hand, for which we thank you. Your 
dear mother and sisters have borne the separation quite as 
well as I expected. Your mother especially has discovered 
that fortitude, which a persuasion that you are in the path 
of duty, and a deep anxiety for your future professional em- 
inence, were so well calculated to produce. She knows, 
and we all know, that you are in the hands of an Almighty 
Protector, and though the loss of the Albion created, as 
you will suppose, a good deal of solicitous feeling, that 
feeling has subsided, and we are now calculating, that as 
this is the 21st day since you left the Capes, that our 
James, 

" Aut portum tenet, aut pleno subit ostia velo." 

" We have kept an accurate register of the winds since 
you left us, which we hope to forward by the Manchester. 

" You may rest assured the papers are well searched to 
ascertain whether the Philadelphia has been spoken or not. 
The Manchester is expected to sail on the 20th inst. Pro- 
fessor Woods, it is next to a certainty, will come out in 



DR. STAUGHTON.. 237 

her. I expected to have seen him by the steam-boat of this 
morning. His success has been astonishing. He has ob- 
tained subscriptions, between fourteen and fifteen thou- 
sand dollars, of which three or four thousand have been 
paid. I have no doubt he will stir up the English to make 
handsome contributions. Your mother, sisters, and, I sup- 
pose, almost all the family, calculate on writing you by the 
Professor. 

" Arrived in England, you will feel you are in the land 
of your forefathers. I am sure that your ambition will 
prompt you to seize every opportunity for the improvement 
of your mind. I know I need not urge you to husband 
well your time. Resolve to shine in your profession. You 
have a sphere of action already noble, and which is replete 
with promise. I beg of you to write much. A continued 
novelty of scene will tend to obliterate from the memory, 
what ought to be retained. Above all, my dear child, 
commend your body and spirit into the hand of the God 
who has created you, and of that divine Redeemer, w^hose 
loving kindness is better than life. 

" Your dear mother sends you her tenderest love, and 
largest blessings. Leonora, Elizabeth, and Amelia desire 
their love. They often regret that they have nobody to 
tease them. They all long to see your face again, and to 
hear you speak. 

'' Present our very affectionate regards to your uncle 
John and wife, and to all our dear relations in London. 
" Your affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

*' Steam-boat Delaware, June 20, 1822. 
*' My dear James, 

" Your mother and sisters have written you. I have 
been a good deal employed in writing letters for Professor 
21* 



238 MEMOIR OF 

Woods, so that you will have to excuse me. I wrote you, 
however, on the 10th pretty largely, by the Unicorn. The 
similitude of the case of Mr. Woods, whom 1 am now ac- 
companying to Newcastle, as I, about thirty-six days ago, 
accompanied yourself, brings up a number of tender recol- 
lections. 

" By the present time, I trust you are safely landed on 
the ' fast anchored isle.' We have carefully inspected the 
ship news ever since you left us ; but we do not find that 
you have been spoken. That, however, is merely an inci- 
dent, and we don't allow it to communicate a moment's 
pain. In about a month or six weeks at most, from the 
present, we shall look for a letter. 

" Several vessels are about leaving Philadelphia for Liv- 
erpool. You will, if all be well, soon hear from me again. 
Meanwhile, my dear child, I commend you into the hands 
of a gracious God. 

" Your affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

" Philadelphia, August 5, 1822. 
" My ever dear Son, 

" One of Mr. Welsh's sons has just called to tell me 
that the Philadelphia arrived in Liverpool the 25th of 
June, the same day that the Cortes, which brings the in- 
telligence, left that port for New York. Blessed be the 
Lord for all his mercies ! Having heard nothing of you 
from the time of your sailing, your dear mother and myself 
began to feel very anxious, but God is ever merciful be- 
yond our fears. 

" We are all well, excepting your dear mother, who 
complains much of the want both of appetite and strength. 
I am satisfied she will be better as soon as she hears of 
your safe arrival. She and your sisters are still boarding 



DR. STAUGHTON. 239 

at Frankford, where I expect they will stay a few days 
longer, and the more so, as some cases of yellow fever 
have occurred in New York, and from the constant inter- 
communication between this city and that, it is not im- 
probable we shall have cases here. 

" I propose calling this morning on Mr. Fry, and ob- 
taining a file of his papers from the time of )^our sailing. 
This will give you the news, and afford you amusement. 
Should I succeed in obtaining them, I shall send them to 
the care of Samuel Hope, Esq. Liverpool. 

" Well, my dear boy ! you are now in the land of your 
forefathers. Improve well your time. See all you can. 
Learn all you can. Make frequent memorandums of 
every thing that strikes you. We shall expect to find 
you wiser, in every point of view, than when you left us. 
Never let your spirits grow dejected. You have many in 
England that will prove intelligent and affectionate friends. 
I am sure your relations will make you as happy as they 
can. The blessing of your affectionate parents, and the 
blessing, I trust, of the God of mercy, rest upon you. 

" The post-man has just brought me your letter, of the 
date July 24th. I thank you, my dear child, for the in- 
telligence it contains. Write us often. 
" Your affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

" Philadelphia, Oct. 10, 1822. 
" My ever dear James, 

" I have almost all day long been engaged in attending 
to the business of the Domestic Mission Society, which 
the whole morning, and part of the afternoon has been 
holding its annual meeting. This evening Miss G. came 
to say that Mr. C. was in Wilmington, and that hei 
brother would leave Philadelphia to-morrow morning, and 



240 MEMOIR OF 

would furnish an opportunity of conveying to him any 
letters we might wish to send. He sails in the Moss. It 
is probable he will not reach England before you have set 
out for Paris. I shall give him direction to find you in 
London, should you yet be there. If not, he will hand 
you this when you are surrounded with Monsieurs and 
Madames. 

'' I trust you have kept your French in view, and I advise 
you to speak holdly in France all the French you know. 
Your ear will soon catch the idioms in common conversa- 
tion. Cut boldly, and your razor will get through the 
whetstone. I confide in your talent and industry for un- 
derstanding all the lectures. I am content you should 
laugh at your father's French, provided you will master 
the language yourself, a task which I am confident you 
can accomplish. Depend much on your ear, — more on 
your reading and grammatical knowledge. 

" It gives your father and mother pleasure to find you 
dining with Mr. Rush, Mr. Wilberforce, &;C. You have 
too much good sense to become vain by such attentions 
on the one hand, and to undervalue them on the other. I 
am glad you have been introduced to Adam Clarke, L. L. D. 
I cannot in every point of divinity go hand in hand with 
him ; but his Commentary proves, that he is no common 
scholar, no common Christian. 

" The fever in New York still rages, — nine new cases 
yesterday. It would seem that Dr. Frost is in higher esti- 
mation than all the New York doctors besides. The 
people there are no doubt looking and praying for his 
arrival. The doctors here inquire affectionately after you. 
Dr. B. met me in the street yesterday. He had many 
questions to ask, and many good wishes to utter. Dr. C, 
a few days ago, inquired after your welfare with much 
earnestness. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 241 

" The letter bag of the Moss and the Electia will be 
taken from the coffee-house on Sabbath morning. By the 
one or the other I shall endeavor to write you again. I 
beg you, my dear child, to accept our affectionate thanks 
for your letters. I know you will continue to write often. 
Give us a view of Paris, similar to what you have given of 
Liverpool and London. 

** We are all grieved at your walking so much. I beg of 
you to refrain. Ne quid nimis. Do, my son, refrain. 
Fatigue of body will not only hinder your health, but your 
studies. Your mamma continues tolerably well. She and 
your sisters will tell you the news better than I can. 
" Your ever affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 



Extract from a Letter, dated Oct. 19, 1822. 

" We talk of you every day, and shall hail the day, on 
which, if the Lord will, we may welcome you to a home 
which you have learned to love, whose portals are always 
open, and whose tables are always spread for our beloved 
children. I cannot but highly approve your resolution, 
not to return until you shall have accomplished the object 
of your voyage. The Lord bless you, my dearest boy, 
and grant you the grace that shall determine your choice 
to that good thing which shall never be taken from you." 

December 12, 1822. 
" My dear child, 

" We have had the pleasure of receiving your letters of 
the 20th of September, by the Halcyon, and the 12th of 
October, by the Manchester. The latter arrived some 
days before the former. Your dear mother, and all of us, • 



242 MEMOIR OF 

thank you a thousand times for your very pleasant com- 
munications. They are as cold waters to a thirsty soul ! 
If you have been so happy as to have received our 
answers, you will find we are not delinquents in cor- 
respondence. 

'' We are glad you have made a tour through Oxford, 
Bristol, Worcester, &-c. The whole route is still familiar 
to my recollection. I will take care very particularly to 
acknowledge the kindness of the excellent men, with 
whom I am happy you have formed an acquaintance, and 
whose readiness to contribute to your comfort was so 
amiable and uniform. Your access to the colleges in 
Oxford must have been peculiarly pleasing. ' And so,' 
mother says, ' My dear James has crossed Bromsgrove 
Lickey !' You have, no doubt, been struck with the lofti- 
ness and antiquity of the spire of St. Michael's, in Coven- 
try, unless London scenes had taken off the impressions 
which novel objects usually awaken. 

" You little know what pleasure it gave us to find our 
dear boy, rising before a Bible society, an advocate for the 
best book the world contains. May you often vindicate 
its honors, and rejoice in the blessings which it commu- 
nicates. 

" Your funds, my dear son, you have husbanded sur- 
prisingly. I sliall expect very soon to hear that you have 
drawn upon me for more. You can do this, I trust, with 
ease, through the medium of Mr. Ivimey, Mr. Page or Mr. 
Butterworth. Any amount you may draw for shall be, 
most assuredly^ duly honored. I again beseech you to 
draw for whatever you want. I like the idea of your 
boarding with Dr. Cox, and yet I am afraid you and he 
will talk too much English together. I almost wish you 
were separate, each in a French family. I would have 
you get as much French as you can. An ability to con- 



DR. S T A U G II T O N. 243 

verse in French, may prove to you a treasure. All unite 
in tenderest love. The Lord preserve and bless you. 
" Your affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

" Philadelphia, Jan. 20, 1823. 

'* My dearest James, 

" The Manchester left this place on the 5th instant. 
I wrote you by her. She descended the river as far as 
the fort, where she has been, by the ice, ever since de- 
tained. Mr. W. has written me a line to say, that she has 
got down farther, and that if I send him a letter to-night, 
he will see to its being forwarded by her. But O, my 
precious child, what different intelligence will the two let- 
ters convey. In that of the 5th, I told you we were all 
well. Your dear mother was seized with a chill about 
half past eleven, on the 4th, but we supposed it then, and 
when I closed my letter, a mere aguish attack. Dr. Paris 
was sent for, he thought otherwise. It was the forerunner 
of a typhus fever, — its seat was more immediately in the 
breast. She continued until tvi^enty minutes before twelve, 
on Friday evening, and then left us. I wrote you an ac- 
count of her indisposition and dissolution, by the Columbia, 
about six or seven days from New York. That letter, I 
expect, will reach you before this can, as the Columbia is 
said to be a fast sailer. 

'' Now, my dear, dear son, I feel for you. The sorrow- 
ful intelligence will reach you in a land of strangers, a 
land of levity. I pray you may find the affliction sancti- 
fied to your immortal welfare. But don't, my ever dear 
child, don't sink under it. You have had your dear 
mother many years. Your father, if he lives, will en- 
deavor to be father and mother too. Her final sickness 
was short, and not painful. She died gentle as an infant 



244 M E M OI R OF 

falling asleep on a mother's knee. Her soul was filled 
with heavenly consolation. Death had no sting, — the 
grave no victory. She could never have departed more 
happily as to her own feelings. Let me beg of you not to 
suffer the decease of your dearest mother to disturb any of 
your plans. Her sudden attack, which Dr. P. told us was 
more like that of Dr. Wistar's than any he had ever seen, 
no earthly power could prevent or repel. It was not the 
decay of nature, it was the irruption of typhus fever. Had 
you been here, your skill and filial tenderness would have 
been alike unavailable. Now remember that it was the 
wish of your dear mother that you visit Italy, and espec- 
ially Rome. See Naples too, if possible. Make the very 
best you can of your visit to Europe, before you return to 
the arms of your father, your sisters, and Amelia. 

" The testimonies of respect your dear mother's memory 
has received, are multiplied and affecting. Letters have 
come from the trustees of the college, the faculty, the stu- 
dents, in form. The latter have resolved on wearing crape 
on the left arm for thirty days. This is truly kind. Phil- 
adelphia has done her part. A larger funeral, perhaps, 
was never seen. It seemed as if not only Sansom-street, 
but the whole city felt respect and affection to be a solemn 
duty. 

" Your sisters and Amelia send their best love. We all 
long for what you amiably call ' the glorious day' of your 
return. 

" The Lord bless and support you. Amid the mutations 
of time, may you find that God is your soul's eternal rock. 
" Your affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 245 

Extract from a letter of January 23, 1823, relating to the 
same mournful subject. 

*' Each of my last mentioned an occurrence, which we 
shall never forget. The 10th of January was the last day 
of your dear mother's continuance on earth. Her depart- 
ure was soft and calm. Her consolations in Christ Jesus 
were divinely strong. O, my dear child, how much I wish 
I were near you, to pour into your wounds all a father's 
sympathies. But, my James, the Lord is near, cast thy 
burden on him. 

" Recollect, my child, the sources of comfort that open 
before you. Your dear mother had reached her sixtieth 
year. She had escaped many a pain and infirmity that ac- 
company life's decline. Her soul was ready for its pas- 
sage ; she has left us her example and her blessing, and, I 
trust, it will be our m.ercy to meet her in the land, where 

' Adieus and farewells are sounds unknown.' " 

" Philadelphia, April 24, 1823. 
*' My dearest James, 

" Your kind favors, of February 20th and 27th, have ar- 
rived. I will not renew to your mind the sorrowful theme 
on which they so tenderly and amiably treat. God grant 
that we may all find our hearts made better by affliction ; 
and should you become a parent, may you have children 
whose kindness shall repay to you your amiable obedience 
to the best of mothers. I send you the number of the 
Luminary, which contains the outlines of her decease. A 
few days ago I wrote Dr. Collyer, thanking him for all his 
very obliging attentions to you, and informing him that he 
has been unanimously elected a member of the American 
Philosophical Society. Show him your dear mother's 
dying experience. 
22 



246 MEMOIROP 

" I am pleased much with the idea of Professor Wood's 
accompanying you on your Italian tour. I do hope he may 
be able to be with you. It will promote his happiness and 
yours also. 

Mf ^ ^ ^ ^ 4^ 41* 4& 

W "TC *«■ *7v" TP -vr vs* tS" 

*' The Lord bless you, my dear son. Into the hands of 
the Father of mercy, you are affectionately commended, by 
one, who will never cease to love you. 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

To write to his children and grand-children, was an ex- 
ercise in which he delighted. Every thing which interest- 
ed himself, he wished to share with them. The simple and 
affectionate character of his effusions, and the anxiety 
which he manifested in their welfare, are exhibited in the 
most artless manner, in the letter which follows, addressed 
to his eldest grand-child. It shows him at Ji07ne, and 
portrays the warmth of his attachment. 

" My dear Mary, 

" Grandpa would be very glad to see you ; but he is under 
the necessity of living a great way off ixom. you. He loves 
you still as much as ever. He hopes he may come down 
the Delaware and Chesapeake to see you. Be, my darling, 
a very good child. Mind all Pa and Ma say to you, and 
every body will love you, — the Lord will love you, and 
you will be happy while you live, and when you die." 

Poetry for his grand- daughter Mary, composed a short time prcvioics 

to his death. 

" Judea, once a female gave, 
As virtue fair, as sorrow^ grave, 
Mother of him who came to save, 

Her name was Mary 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 247 

" An amiable sister sat, 
At the Redeemer's feet, 
And heard his words in accents sweet, 
Her name was Mary. 

"A sad spectatress of his tears, 
To Jesus' tomb, her spices bears, 
The Saviour chased her swelling fears. 

Her name was Mary. 

" And see disciples weep and pray, 
When Peter deep imprisoned lay, 
'Twas to thy house, he shaped his way, 
Thou pious Mary. 

*' Cowper, I bless thy magic line. 
Thy classic touch, thy strain divine, 
A sympathizing friend was thine, 

Her name was Mary. 

*' And I had a soft soother too, 
But she has vanish'd from my view, 
Far, far above heaven's brightest blue. 
Her name was Mary. 

" But I have a sweet prattler still, 
Sweeter than morn on eastern hill, 
Dear opening flower, I'll love thee still, 
Her name is Mary. 

Letter to his youngest daugtiter. 

" WasMngton, Feb. 9, 1823. 
" My dear Elizabeth, 

" Your letter of the 7th instant was handed me half an 
hour ago, for which accept my thanks. I thought much 
of poor Gross, as I was riding on Friday, and am obliged 
by what you have written relative to his execution. I trust, 
notwithstanding the enormity of his offence, its stain has 
been washed away by the atoning blood of the Redeemer. 
It must have been an affecting sight, to have beheld him 
walking with the rope round his body. The hymns sung 



248 MEMOIROF 

must, at least, have soothed, as to his own mind, the mourn- 
ful procession. Ever, my child, reflect on the evil of sin, 
and pray for grace, to be preserved from its destroying in- 
fluence. This morning I preached for Mr. B., and this 
afternoon administered for him the Lord's Supper. To- 
morrow, I commence teachino; at the college. I shall tell 
you, in a day or two, how I like it. I was struck, this 
morning, on seeing the crape on the arms of the students, 
in memory of the loss of your invaluable mother. I under- 
stand, that the idea originated wholly with themselves. 

" Wishing you, my dearest child, to engrave on your 
memory, your dear mother's dying charge — ' My dear 
Elizabeth, don't be fascinated with the objects of this vain 
and dying world,' and that her God may be yours forever 
and ever, 

" I am your affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

The following letter, written to the gentleman who was 
then engaged, and afterwards married, to his youngest 
daughter, contains a brief but pointed exhibition of the im- 
moral tendency of theatrical exhibitions. 

'' ColumUan College, Feb. 24, 1823. 
" My dear friend, 

" I have received a few lines from you this morning, 
which came by the mail, that should have arrived at two 
o'clock yesterday. From the delay I am led to infer that 
the roads are almost impassable. How I shall make my 
way home this week, I know not. 

" I thank you for the spirit in which your kindness has 
received my last letter to you. Far be it from me, at any 
time, for a single moment, to give you pain, I wrote un- 
der the impulse of feelings, which I believe to have been 



DR. STAUGHTON. 249 

correct, and with a sincere desire to prevent that from rising 
into habit, which I am confident has been the ruin of thou- 
sands. At the theatre, plays are usually admired in propor- 
tion to the intrigue which they discover ; and unsuspecting 
minds learn these intrigues ; and instead of upright, virtuous 
citizens, become the victims of fraudulent passions. The 
Greek word for a stage-player, vTcoK^nn^j signifies a hypo- 
crite. At the theatre, the whole system is hypocrisy. The 
tears, the joys, the declamations, &c. are all a round of 
dissembling. To every thing that can contribute to your 
happiness, I shall ever be proud to contribute; but such 
are the views I am constrained to cherish concerning 
play-houses, whatever the splendor of their structure, or 
the magnificence of their internal decorations, that I am 
compelled to say with the Patriarch, ' To their assembly, 
mine honour, be not thou united.' I never wish to dictate 
the path that any of my dear children shall pursue. Ar- 
rived at the age of reflection, in a thousand things they 
must judge for themselves; but if I saw a dear child ex- 
posed to flames, and did not fly to caution and to rescue, I 
should, in my child's estimation, ill deserve the sacred and 
endearing name of father. Permit me, my dear sir, to say, 
that the affectionate manner in which you have received 
what I have written, has endeared you to my heart more 
than ever. Let the subject henceforth drop, and become 
like waters ' forgotten of the foot.' 

" Yours, very sincerely, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

The following letter to his son, upon receiving the wel- 
come news of his return from Europe, exhibits the breath- 
ings of parental aflection. He landed in Philadelphia, and 
remained a few days with his sister and the friends in that 
place, previously to his repairing to the city of Washington 
22* 



250 MEMOIR OF 

" Washington, Nov. 12, 1823. 
" My dear child, 

" Your letter has arrived, announcing your safe arrival 
in Philadelphia. My full heart can only say, ' Bless the 
Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy 
name.' 

" When your letter came, we were setting at dinner. 
Bessy danced for joy ; Amelia grew sick for joy. How is 
my dear Nora ? Great big round tears have tumbled out of 
her fountains. I envy her joy, but I share it at the same 
time. I shall not write you much to-night. Mind now, 
I give you to your dear Leonora, and all your Philadelphia 
friends until Monday next, at noon. That will be just 
what I promised, a week. Then Elizabeth, Amelia, and 
I will, if the Lord please, meet you at Mr. B.'s, who invites 
us to dine on Tuesday. 

" Your too happy father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

The circumstances which led to his connexion with the 
Columbian college have been stated. The resignation of 
his pastoral charge in Philadelphia, with a view to his loca- 
tion in the District of Columbia, gave him considerable 
anxiety and embarrassment. Pie was aware of the sacrifices 
he must make, and most deeply regretted leaving his church 
and congregation. He firmly believed, that his happiness 
would be promoted by remaining with them ; andnothiiig 
but deference to the wishes of the Convention, and his own 
convictions of duty, induced him to accept the presidency. 
The correspondence, which occurred in relation to this 
movement, will prove the best illustration which can now 
be given. 



DR. STAUGHTON. 251 

Copy of a letter from the church in Sansom-street, dated 
October 15, 1821. 

*' Rev. William Staugbton, 

" Beloved brother and pastor, 

'* With deep anxiety we have heard, since the last meet- 
ing of the Convention, that efforts were making to induce 
you to resign your relationship as our pastor, with a view of 
your becoming president of the new college at Washington. 
We were much agitated on the subject; yet, as a church, 
no notice was taken of it, in hopes that time would dis- 
sipate the rumors ; but at a late meeting of the Board of 
Trustees of that institution, when your appointment to that 
office was made, greatly increased our uneasiness. We 
have been anxiously expecting to hear from you on the 
subject ; but as this has not been the case, we find it neces- 
sary to address you, because we are persuaded it has tended 
generally to paralyze our efforts to extinguish the debt of 
the church, or even to provide for our periodical expenses. 
Some, to whom application has been made, have refused 
their aid, unless they could be assured of your continuance. 

" These, together with a general inability to contribute 
to the support of divine worship, as formerly, from the al- 
most unparalleled stagnation and embarrassment of every 
kind of business for some years past, which has involved 
several of our number in the deepest affliction, have pre- 
vented their compliance with the command, ' to owe no 
man any thing.' 

" In addition to these, the arm of the Lord has not been 
revealed among us as heretofore, which almost induces us 
to say, ' the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is 
faint.' Truth and duty call upon us to declare, that this 
is not owing to any want of zeal or faithfulness in your 
public labors among us. 



252 MEMOIR OF 

" We, therefore, most affectionately beg leave to submit 
to that wisdom and prudence, which have marked your go- 
ing in and out among us, why you should continue with us, 
the following reasons : 

" 1. Because your labors in the Lord have been more 
abundantly owned and blessed in this city than any where 
else. 

'* 2. Because your pastoral labors, as far as we can judge, 
have been more useful than any other you can engage in ; 
we therefore submit, that any employment that would in- 
terfere with them, is undesirable. 

" 3. Because as a church, we are the first of your la- 
bors, we are joined in sincere affection to you, and though 
we have been unable to tender to you that support we 
could wish, we hope that by determining to remain with 
us, it would so be the means of uniting our exertions, that 
aided by yours, we would be enabled to fulfil our engage- 
ments with you, and reduce, and finally extinguish, our 
debt ; and you, in the mean time, so supported, that those 
affections which your services in the sanctuary have en- 
kindled, may be increased more permanently in the social 
circle. 

'' 4. Because your leaving us, under the pressure of a 
debt large as ours, would, in all probability, entirely bank- 
rupt us ; a circumstance which we are assured could not 
fail greatly to afflict you. 

"5. Because, after your departing, we fear grievous 
wolves may enter in among us, not sparing the flock ; also 
of our own selves men may arise, speaking perverse things, 
to draw away disciples after them ; and so necessary are 
your continued exertions in support of missionary and ed- 
ucation societies among our denomination in this city, 
that there is every reason to fear, were you to leave it, they 
would be, in a great measure, prostrated. 



DR. S T A U G II T O N. 253 

" Lastly, should you have conceived the idea of leaving 
us, which we sincerely trust, has not been the case, and 
the foregoing reasons with many others that might be urged, 
should not induce you to continue with us, we will, we 
trust, both endeavor and earnestly pray, that your going 
out from us may be as affectionate as your coming in was. 

" We remain, dear pastor, your affectionate biethren and 
sisters in the gospel of our common Lord and Saviour. 

" Read and approved at a special meeting of the Baptist 
church in Sansom-street, and signed by order and in behalf 
of the whole. 

JOHN OWENS, Cleric." 

The reply to the above letter. 

''November 2, 182L 
" Dear brethren, 

" The circumstances in which I have lately found my- 
self, have been in a high degree painful and embarrassing. 
Few pastors of a church of Christ have enjoyed more 
pleasure than myself, in the relation that has subsisted 
between us, and none ever felt less inclination to relin- 
quish his charge. It has been in my heart to live and die 
with you. On the other hand, an institution has been 
established at Washington, whose location, I had hoped, 
would have been in or near Philadelphia, which promises 
to be extensively useful to our denomination at large, with 
which I have been, in various ways, for several years, 
more or less connected, and to the presidency of which 
I have beerf chosen. 

" The only reason for your not having heard from me 
on the subject, has arisen from the extreme difficulty I 
have felt to determine what course I ought to pursue. I 
fully appreciate the arguments you offer for my stay among 



254 MEMOIR OF 

you. I am thankful for any success that has attended 
my imperfect labors in Philadelphia, and particularly in 
Sansom-street. I reciprocate, from my inmost heart, every 
expression of affection you utter, and trust that from 
grievous wolves, and men speaking (lies) perverse things, 
to which every church is exposed, the Head of the church 
will ever preserve you. 

" Be assured, nothing but a sense of duty can ever 
reconcile my mind to leaving Philadelphia. I will not, 
my dear people, enlarge on the importance of the Colum- 
bian college, particularly the theological department, the 
welfare of our churches, nor mention to you the importu- 
nity expressed by the trustees, professors and students, 
for my acceptance of the presidency, and the sentiments 
of some of our most judicious ministers and other brethren. 
The institution has, in Philadelphia, been so immediately 
before you, that on your judgment here I may rely with 
safety. 

" After much anxious deliberation and prayer for divine 
assistance, the following seems to open before me as the 
path of duty. Eighteen months from the present time, 
about the meeting of the General Convention in Washing- 
ton, a new election of president will take place. The 
duties of this office, I have had a thought of discharging 
until that time. This would afford me an opportunity of 
assisting in the arrangement of the college, and would 
enable me still to fulfil the duties I owe to the affection I 
bear you, and the relation I sustain. It would be neces- 
sary for me to visit Washington, I suspect, only two or 
three times in a year, and that only for two, or at most, for 
three weeks at a visit. It would give time to us both to 
observe the providence of God, which is often a faithful 
interpreter of his will, and would afford equal satisfaction 
to the trustees of the college and yourselves. I feel the 



i 



DR. STAUGHTON. 255 

whole force of the difficulty you state in relation to our 
pecuniary circumstances, as a church ; but what can I say 
on this subject ? Can T, at my time of life, hope that 
another ten years' labor among you would be more popu- 
lar, and, of course, more productive than the past ? Exer- 
tions on the part of the church and congregation, bold, 
systematized, and persevering, will soon diminish, and 
ultimately destroy the debt. Without these, it is a con- 
sideration of inferior moment by whom our pulpit is filled. 
In every attempt to accomplish these objects I shall most 
cheerfully unite. Whatever providence may determine, 
I trust, with you, we shall ever live in each other's affec- 
tions. Wishing you peace, with love and faith from 
God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, I am, dear 
brethren, 

" Your faithful friend, and affectionate pastor, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON. 

'^ N. B. I have, as yet, returned no answer to the trus- 
tees of the Columbian college., W. S." 

Copy of a letter from the Trustees of the Columbian 
college to the Sansom-street church. 

" Beloved and highly respected brethren and friends, 

" It has to us been a circumstance of peculiar gratifica- 
tion that the voice of the Convention, without a solitary dis- 
sentient, so 'far as we can learn, have determined that your 
worthy pastor, the Rev. Dr. William Staughton, is the proper 
person to fill the presidency of the Columbian college, in 
the District of Columbia. 

" At the same time, the Convention have felt, and we 
participate a sentiment of sorrow at the termination of the 
immediate connexion between your pastor and yourselves. 



256 MEMOIR OF 

We believe that he has lived in your affections, and been 
sustained by your benevolence and your prayers. We are 
sensible, also, that towards you he possesses as sincere and 
as tender an attachment, as ever glowed in the pastoral 
bosom. Separations, under such circumstances, are pecu- 
liarly trying. 

" We are, nevertheless, assured, from all we have known 
of your interesting history, that you are among the readiest 
of the churches to make a sacrifice of all you hold dear, 
for the sake of Christ Jesus, and his sacred cause. 
Though the sphere for the preaching of your beloved 
pastor will be less extensive at this place than in Phila- 
delphia, a. sphere of another kind that may prove still more 
useful to the church at large, invites his labors. With re- 
gard to the pecuniary affliction under which your house of 
worship is laboring, we trust that the Lord, whom you 
serve, will make provision. The silver and the gold are 
his. For ourselves, we are ready to assure you, that for 
the purpose of obtaining your exoneration, we shall feel 
happy in employing every agency in our power. Permit 
us to offer you the tribute of our undissembied and most 
affectionate consideration and attachment, and to assure 
you of our best v/ishes and prayers, that among you the 
righteousness of the Lord may long continue to go forth 
as brightness, and his salvation as a lamp that burnetii. 
" Signed by order of the Board, 

ENOCPI REYNOLDS, Scc'ry^ 
Washington City, Blay 15, 1823. 

The voice of the Convention, and his own convictions 
of duty, at length issued in the resignation of his pastoral 
charge, and his removal to the city of Washington. 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 257 

Letter of Resignation. 

" May 26, 1823. 

" To the Baptist church in Sansom-street, Philadelphia. 
'* Beloved brethren, 

" The relation of pastor among you in the Lord, it has 
been my honor and my happiness for many years to have 
sustained. Were my destination at my own control, I 
would wish no higher station on earth than to continue 
my labors among you, and to live in the pious affections 
of your hearts. For your fraternal sympathies under ray 
late affliction, I tender you my sincerest gratitude. While 
I continue to live, I shall not cease to love you. 

" I will not state the train of circumstances (because 
you know the whole) which inflict on me the pain of 
telling you, that at the beginning of September next, the 
endeared relation between us, as shepherd and flock, in 
the providence of God, must cease. I know the difficul- 
ties of various kinds under which you are distressed. I 
wish I could relieve them all. My heart is with you, and 
my hand prepared to serve you to the utmost extent of my 
power ; but we are not our own. At present, excuse my 
adding more, than that I am yours in Christ Jesus. 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

He preached his farewell sermon to the church from 
the words recorded in 1 Peter, v. 10. " The God of all 
grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory, by Christ 
Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you per- 
fect, establish, strengthen, settle you." It was a solemn, 
weeping occasion. A gentleman of high respectability 
observed, that it had been many years since a tear had 
fallen from his eye ; but when he saw the church and con- 
gregation all in tears, he found he could weep with those 
that weep. 

23 



258 MEMOIR OF 



CHAPTER XI. 

Part of his address at the opening of the Columbian college — his 
behavior towards the young men — prosperity of the college — its 
subsequent pecuniary distress, and his difficulties resulting from 
this state — resignation of the presidency and return to Phila- 
delphia. 

Upon the duties of the college, he entered, with a de- 
cided devotion to its best interests, and with his intellec- 
tual powers in full vigor. Reference has been already 
made to the opening of this institution, and the induction 
of the professors. This event, which was throughout one 
of great interest and solemnity, was followed by an address 
from the president of the college, distinguished for classi- 
cal purity, learning, and eloquence. 

His views on the subject of a public education are thus 
stated ; " Colleges, under proper government, are by no 
means inauspicious to the habits of virtue ; on the con- 
trary, they contain the best correctives of vicious propen- 
sities. Dr. Barrow, whose acuteness of observation has 
been rarely exceeded, and whose experience as a pro- 
fessor was extensive, asserts with confidence, that he had 
seldom known a youth deeply involved in depravit}? at 
schools, who did not bring the seeds of it along with him. 
Desirable as it may be thought that every Telemachus 
have a Mentor by his side, the voice of reason, the impulse 
of feeling, intimate distinctly that youth are the natural 
companions of youth. In public seminaries as much se- 



DR. STAUGHTON. 259 

elusion is enjoined and practised, as learning can demand, 
or health can authorize. Shut up, if it be thought best, 
the delicate plant in a well-secured green-house ; but, 
remember, the saplings that are to become oaks of Bashan 
and cedars of Lebanon, ask for breezes, and showers, and 
sunshine. At public schools emulation is ever on the 
stretch ; a generous sense of honor is inspired ; the 
science of human nature is, to a considerable extent, 
attained ; and such friendships, as is remarked by Ter- 
tullian, are frequently contracted, as solace and ennoble 
the whole progress of future existence. It is not a truth, — 
I appeal to universal experience, — that living a while in a 
college destroys a relish for the endearing attractions of a 
father's dwellinor. It is not an inglorious deliorht in indo- 
lence, but a well-retained affection for home, that is ever 
calculating the day that ushers in a vacation. I am satis- 
fied, from long observation, that our young men, with few 
exceptions, leave their alma mater, not simply with an 
informed understanding, but with their manners softened, 
and their hearts improved. Parents are constantly exposed 
to the mistake of overruling the faculties of their children. 
The apologies of natural affection are, indeed, tender and 
forcible, but require to be admitted with caution. Boys of 
corrupt disposition, whether educated in the retirement of 
a parlor, or introduced into the public halls of science, 
will sagaciously find a model for themselves, associates 
whose inclinations shall coincide with their own. Other 
circumstances, apart from cultivation, distinguish Arabia 
the Desert from Arabia the Blest." 

The conclusion of the Address is among the finest 
specimens of eloquence. 

" Among the numerous considerations, which afford 
pleasure to the patrons of our college, and inspirit their 
generous hopes, its location must be mentioned. From 



260 MEMOIR OF 

this hill, as from the eminence on which ^neas stood, the 
frequent pupil shall look down and exclaim, — 

'Ofortunati! quorum jam moenia surgunt.^ 

He will behold a rising metropolis, — not the city Car- 
thage, but the city Washington. From the window 
of his study, he shall look out and ask, — What spot is 
that, whose trees rise high above the surrounding foliage ? 
and shall learn, it is Vernon, where Washington lived, — 
where Washington sleeps. Tully acknowledges the trans- 
ports he experienced when he saw the laurel grove, where 
Plato held his disputations, and the porticoes at Athens, 
where Socrates taught. But superior transports shall 
swell the bosom of the young American, while he gazes 
on the Mount, where dwelt the hero, who, with the eagle 
for his standard, fought the battles of his country, achieved 
her liberty, illumined her councils; and, leaving her a 
legacy of paternal advice and patriotic example, in peace 
expired. Imagination, on the soft breezes of evening, 
shall hear the notes which the trumpet of the Genius of 
Liberty sounds over his sepulchre^ and affection shall 
exult and weep for Washington ! 

" When Solomon was anointed to the government of 
Israel, he was led, at the command of his father, to the 
fountain of Gihon. Some of the Rabbis tell us, that it was 
common, when officers were set apart to public, or more 
private stations, for the ceremonies of inauguration to take 
place by the side of running water ; as if to express a 
hope that their services, like the stream, might refresh, 
and fertilize, and continue. Alas ! it is the lot of mortals 
to die ! Rivers will pursue their meanders to the sea, 
when upon us the night of death shall have fallen. Yet, 
surely, we may be permitted to express our strong desire, 
and reverent supplication, that long as the adjacent Poto- 



r 



DR. S T A U G H T O N, 261 

mac shall flow, this seat of learning and virtue may flourish, 
a blessing to the District, to the Union, to the world." 

Towards the young men under his charge, he acted the 
part of a friend and a father. He treated them as young 
gentlemen, and never would he consent to the degrada- 
tion of a pupil by discipline, till every possible appeal to 
his honor proved unavailing. In this course, he was sus- 
tained by the professors and tutors, all of whom were 
tender of the feelings of their students. No difficulty of 
any magnitude occurred under his presidency, no combi- 
nations were formed to resist the government of the col- 
lege. He never checked with austerity the cheerful 
waywardness of the young men, but ever frowned upon 
mischief and vice. He was beloved by all. His duties 
were laborious and multiplied. Besides his attention to 
classes, he officiated two sessions in the capacity of chap- 
lain to Congress, being elected by the senate to this sta- 
tion ; and besides these duties, he carried on, till the 
Convention of 1826, the correspondence of the Board of 
Missions. 

The college increased rapidly in numbers and respecta- 
bility. The classical department opened with thirty stu- 
dents, in January, 1822. By the ensuing October, the 
number had increased to forty-six, and, at the meeting of 
the Convention, in 1823, fifty-nine young gentlemen were 
pursuing their studies. In April, of the year succeeding, 
the number amounted to ninety-three. Before the close 
of another year the edifice was crowded with pupils, and 
another building was contemplated. 

For some time after he removed to Washington, his 
situation was quite comfortable, but he was, nevertheless, 
the subject of almost constant depression of spirits. Pro- 
bably the death of his wife, with the sacrifice of feeling 
which he must, of necessity, have made in separating him- 
23* 



262 MEMOIR OF 

self from a beloved church, and an overflowing congrega- 
tion, in Philadelphia, contributed, in no small degree, to 
this depression. On this subject, w^riting to a friend, he 
observes, " I suffer much from depression of spirits, and 
yet I have no real reason for depression. I have the com- 
forts of the present life in abundance, and in prospect of 
eternity, 

' Christ is my life, my light, ray care, 
My blessed hope, my glorious prize.' 

" My general health is rather better, I think, than when 
I was in Philadelphia. I trust I feel myself in the hands 
of the Lord, content that he do with me as seemeth good 
in his sight. Pray for me, and cherish the hope, that 
before long, our prayers will be changed into everlasting 
thanksgivings." 

There was much in the kind attentions of his friends 
to cheer his heart. Many testimonials of affection were 
received from his former charge in Philadelphia ; one of 
which, for the delicate manner in which it was presented, 
is worthy of record. He was on a visit to that city, as the 
winter of 1826 was approaching. One day there was 
brought to him an elegant cloth cloak. Attached to the 
fastening, in front of the collar, was a neat silver plate, 
bearing the inscription, — " Our father, William StaugJi- 
ton, D. D." Accompanying the present was the follow- 
ing beautiful, affectionate note : — 

'' Philadelphia, Nov. 25, 1826. 
" Very dear father, in the gospel of Jesus, 

" From a conviction of the spiritual blessings we have 
experienced, through the instrumentality of your ministry, 
under God, we desire to express, in some humble manner, 
our affectionate regards, by presenting you a cloth cloak ; 



DR. STAUGHTON. 263 

hoping you will receive this as a token of our best wishes 
for your welfare and happiness in this world, and in the 
world to come. 

'' With sentiments of Christian affection, we are your 
spiritual sons and daughters in the kingdom of the Lord 
Jesus. Sansom-street. 

Rev. William Staughton, D. D." 

He had unbounded confidence in those who managed 
the pecuniary concerns of the college, and while the note 
of complaint was swelling louder and louder, in different 
sections of the country, he seemed to view it merely as the 
result of hostility to the institution. He entered into their 
defence, on every suitable occasion, with ardor. 

In the summer of 1821, he made an excursion to the 
North, for the purpose of creating, as far as possible, a 
more favorable impression in regard to the infant college. 
In a letter to one of his family, dated Worcester, August 
14th, he writes ; " I preached on Friday evening for the 
Rev. Mr. Bolles ; spent Saturday in Salem, a hot, op- 
pressive, close, trying day. I thought I was almost very 
sick, but on Sabbath morning felt vastly better. Preached 
morning and afternoon for Mr. Bolles ; in the afternoon 
took up a collection of $25,64. After service, Mr. Bolles 
brought me in his chaise to Boston, where I preached 
again, and took up a second collection of $48,00. 

" I had almost forgotten to say, that brother Bolles has 
done admirably. He has himself, at this present time, 
subscribed upwards of three hundred dollars to the Wash- 
ington concern. Though a direct application has been 
no part of our object, we have raised, on our present tour, 
from seven to eight hundred dollars." 

The subsequent embarrassments of the college are well 
known. It is equally well known, that pecuniary affairs were 



264 MEMOIR OF 

the least that ever occupied the mind of Dr. Staughton. 
He appeared to be entirely satisfied with the statements of 
those to whom the management of the college was in- 
trusted. He was assured, in his own mind, that the 
pecuniary difficulties of the college were trifling : and he 
was sanguine of its success. Writing to his son, in Eu- 
rope, under date of December 12, 1822, he observes ; 
" Mr. Rice, in his late tour to the North, has very much 
relieved the affairs of the college. He has sold shares in 
a loan, to the amount of seven thousand dollars. I think 
he told me that one gentleman made him a present, for 
the college, of a thousand dollars. His spirits are high. 
He says, that he sees the shore, and three or four thousand 
dollars more will land him safely." 

But he was disappointed. In a short time, owing to 
the increased difficulties with which the institution had 
to contend, his circumstances were totally changed. He 
felt himself, in numerous instances, personally aggrieved, 
and one of his expressions in his family, was a clear and 
forcible exhibition of the state of his feelings. He used to 
say, " / am familiar loith humiliation.^' 

Of his uncomfortable situation, some idea may be formed 
from the following lines in a letter to his son, written in 
New York, at the meeting of the Convention, in 1826. 
" I look for a great struggle in New York, but I have the 
good hope that righteousness and truth will prevail. Per- 
haps brighter days are before us. In any case, we are in 
the hands of a good God, who has led us and fed us all 
our life long, and whose loving kindness and tender 
mercies endure from generation to generation. He caii 
lighten our darkness, and dry up our sorrows." 

His hopes were considerably brightened by the addition 
of several distinguished men to the Board of Trustees, 
nominated by the Convention, in New York, in the year 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 265 

1826. He thought he discovered in this change the salva- 
tion of the college from ruin, and, in the commencement 
of the year 1827, he made a Southern tour, in company 
with the Rev. Mr. Waite, of the Preparatory department, 
to assist in the liquidation of the debt of this institution. 
The following is a part of the journal which he kept upon 
this tour. 

" Jan. 29th. Mr. Waite and myself expected to have 
left Norfolk, but found that a horse, which we had pur- 
chased, was good for nothing, and had to look out for 
another. 

" 30th. Procured a good horse for a hundred dollars, 
and started for the South, about 3 o'clock, P. M. Travel- 
led ten miles, stopped at the Great Bridge, and staid at 
what is called Jones' tavern. 

" 31st. Started at day-break, passed the beautiful Cur- 
tuck sound, and breakfasted at a Caleb Wilson's, where 
we obtained ten dollars. Went to what is called North 
West, stopped and took some refreshment. Entered, 
to-day, North Carolina. The roads very bad, — could get 
forward only twenty-five miles. Staid at a Mr. Williams', 
charged nothing, and treated with great hospitality. 

" Feb. 1st. Took breakfast at Mr. Isaac Baxter's, 
Sheriff of Currituck county, a most pleasant and bounte- 
ous brother, — gave us five dollars. Arrived this evening 
at Elizabeth, and put up with a Mr. Mc Morines. Every 
thinor eleo-ant and kind. Mr. S. the father-in-law of Mr. 
Mc M. gave us ten dollars. 

'* 2d. Left Elizabeth, and as the roads were very bad, 
made only tv/enty-two miles. Staid at a ministering 
brother's, of the name of Ross, within nine miles of 
Edenton. 

" 3d. Reached Edenton about 10 o'clock, where we 
were most cordially welcomed, particularly by Mr. Mere- 



266 



MEMOIR OF 



dith, and Dr. Collens Skinner. I made my home with the 
former, Mr. Waite with the latter. Preached this evening 
at the Baptist meeting-house, a neat building. Assembly 
crowded. 

" 4th. Preached, morning, for the Baptists, — afternoon, 
for the Methodists. Evening, for the Baptists, and took a 
collection of fourteen dollars. Obtained here for the col- 
lege about seventy dollars, and was offered fifty more, if I 
would stay another Sabbath ; but the season is advancing, 
and I thought it best to proceed. I shall never forget the 
kindness of the Edenton friends. 

" 5th and 6th. Spent both days in visiting and obtain- 
ing what subscriptions we could. 

" 7th. Left Edenton, — furnished by Mrs. Skinner with 
ham, tongue, cake, wine, &/C. which we found very ac- 
ceptable, as there is scarcely a tavern on the road. Pine 
trees, swamps, miserable bridges, wretched huts, a few 
solitary ox-carts, and a few wandering negroes, mark all 
our road. This day we crossed the Albemarle sound, a 
distance of twelve miles, — a distance of twelve miles ! I 
dreaded this sound. Three weeks before, an Italian mu- 
sician had been drowned, and three days before, an old 
Baptist minister, who was one of the great enemies of 
missions, colleges, bible societies, 6lc. &/C. This night 
reached Plymouth, nine miles from the sound. I preached 
in the evening at the court-house. 

"8th. Left Plymouth, and arrived at Washington, thirty- 
three miles, too late for preaching. Staid at Le Roy's 
tavern. 

" 9th. Started for Newbern, thirty-five miles. At half 
past six arrived at brother Hancock's. Received with 
elegance and ease. Here we have since continued. 

" 10th. Became acquainted with a Mr. Hatch, a Pres- 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 267 

byterian brother, one of the loveliest of men. Preached 
in the evening. 

" 11th. Preached three times. Morning, for the Bap- 
tists, — they have a good, but small and inconveniently 
located meeting-house. Afternoon, for the Presbyterians, 
— a splendid house, with a lofty spire and large bell. 
Evening, at the Baptist meeting-house, and made a collec- 
tion of 824,73. 

" 12th. Visits almost all the day, — obtained about thirty 
dollars. Preached this evening at the Presbyterian 
meeting-house, — made a collection. I have not yet heard 
the amount, but suspect it not less than forty-five or fifty 
dollars. 

" 13th. My health has, for the most part, been very 
good, but I had a very poor night last night, and am to- 
day, very much afflicted with a severe cold, fever, and 
head-ache ; for my strength, I have labored too much. 
The congregations are crowded, and I have exerted my- 
self, perhaps, imprudently. To-morrow, we expect to start 
for Wilmington, where we hope to spend the next Lord's 
day, a dismal, sandy, swampy road, we are told, of ninety- 
three miles; thence to Georgetown, S. C, ninety-three 
miles more, on roads of the same forbidding description. 
May a kind Providence still go before us." 

When he arrived in Charleston, S. C, he continued to 
prosecute his work in behalf of the college, until he re- 
ceived information from Washington, that Judge Mc Lean, 
and other distinguished members of the Board had re- 
signed their office. A few letters are inserted, in this con- 
nexion, to show the deep interest which he felt in the 
prosperity of the Columbian college. 



268 M E IM O 1 R O F 

\ 

'' Charleston, March 12, 1827. 
" My dear son, 

*' More than a week has elapsed since you cheered me 
with the expectation, that I should receive a line from you 
by the next mail. I will not indulge the apprehension 
that you are sick, confident, if you were, that Louisa 
would have written me. I know your punctuality, and 
can ascribe my disappointment only to some unaccount- 
able deficiency in the mail. 

" Before attempting subscriptions and collections here, 
my friends have advised me to make myself known, with a 
view of diminishing aversions to the college, and imparting 
some good feelings, by visits and my preaching. This, I 
have attempted. I have preached four times already in 
the Baptist church, and three times yesterday in Presby- 
terian churches. Last evening the congregation in the 
circular church was immense. One hundred and seventy 
dollars were collected for the " Charleston Port Society." 
To-morrow evening, I expect to lay before the citizens of 
Charleston, in the Baptist church, a statement of the col- 
lege concerns, and the object of my visit. The next 
morning, I expect to commence a course of personal calls. 
My friends encourage me to believe that I shall accom- 
plish something handsome in Charleston. My own hopes 
are rather low. I will, however, do what I can, and I can 
do no more. 

" Your ever affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

" Charleston, March 12, 1827. 
*' My dear son, 

" I have this moment received your letter of the 7th 
instant. My heart is shocked at the resignation of our 
best men, and our best friends. I scarcely know what 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 269 

to do. My letter, which accompanies this, will tell you 
the plan I am pursuing as to Charleston. What shall I 
say to-morrow evening to the assembled citizens ? Alas ! 
what can I say ! I propose a meeting of the best friends 
of the college in this place, a private meeting, to-morrow 
morninor at 10 o'clock. I will listen to their counsel, and 
if I can approve, follow it. 

" I shall write the Post-Master-General to-morrow. I 
think of putting off my announcement until I can again 
hear from Washington. Well, my dear child, we are in 
very deep waters, but let us not despair. Lord Bacon, in 
distress, was told, ' Sir, it is time to look about you.' 
* O, no,' said he, ' it is time to look above me.' May the 
God of mercy appear ! You will, most probably, hear 
aorain to-morrow from 

" Your ever affectionate father, 

WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

" Charleston, March 14, 1827. 
/' My beloved James, 

" I wrote to the Post-Master-General yesterday, and 
request'ed him to have the goodness to shov/ you my letter. 
This, I presume, he has done. I never was more em- 
barrassed than at the present moment. Last evening I 
had a large assembly of the citizens of Charleston, in the 
Baptist church, expecting to hear from me the object of 
my visit. They appeared ready to serve me in any thing. 
But what could I say to them? The advice of my best 
friends here urges me to wait until I can hear more from 
Washino;ton. 

" At this juncture, far as I am from the scene of action, 

every line that can be written me is a treasure ! The 

constant cry among the friends of the college is, ' Doctor, 

any news from Washington to-day 1 ' I have too fre- 

24 



270 MEMOIR OF 

quently to answer, ' None.' I think I can say, * In the 
Lord do I put my trust ! Why say ye (ye enemies of righ- 
teousness) flee as a bird to your mountain.' 

" In storm or in sunshine, your affectionate father, 
WILLIAM STAUGHTON." 

'' Charleston, March 22, 1827. 
" My dearest James, 

" I have just received your two letters of the 16th. I 
thank you for them ten thousand, thousand times. I have 
only had time to run over them very hastily. I shall read 
them as attentively as I can. It is probable, I shall im- 
mediately send in my resignation. I wish to act with that 
circumspection that no enemy of righteousness may take 
advantage. 

" Do forgive me, my dear child, if I have been too im^ 
portunate. My importunity has been the effervescence 
of the severest mental affliction. God only knows M^hat I 
have suffered since I have been in Charleston. I cannot 
write more now. 

*' For ever and ever, your affectionate father, 
WILLIAM STAUGHTON.'* 

Resolved never again to subject himself to his former 
trials and distresses, to the great joy of his family, he re- 
signed a situation, which, they had long been convinced, 
could only render him unhappy. 

The result of his resignation was the temporary break- 
ing up of the college ; for the other officers soon after 
resigned, and the students, almost in mass, returned 
to their homes. Looking at the consequences of this 
step, partially, it has probably been deemed by many 
an injudicious one. There is reason, however, to be- 
lieve, that but for thi« shock, or something of ec 



DR. 6TAUGHT0N. 271 

maornitude, it never would have recovered. The denomi- 
nation was aroused by it to vigorous action, the interests 
of the college were placed under the control of other men, 
and that course was pursued at last, which ought to have 
been pursued before ; and had it been carried out before. 
Dr. Staughton would not have resigned his situation. By 
the united voice of the Baptists he was called to that sta- 
tion, and by their united voice justice required that he 
should be made comfortable. He sacrificed much to leave 
a large, affectionate church, and an overflowing congrega- 
tion — he sacrificed his own feelings to their wishes, ar.d 
he relinquished his post only when he felt that to remain 
any longer would imbitter his own existence, and bring 
no relief to the colleo-e. 

He remained in the South about five weeks after his 
resignation, and collected considerable for the Burman 
mission. From Savannah he wrote to his daughter-in-law, 
Mrs. Staughton, a description of 

A Southern Spring. 

" 'Tis Spring ! and the softer sun opens the day^ 
The clouds, finely mellow'd, bright floating are seen', 
The careless young zephyrs their visit repay, 
And earth has thrown round her, her garment of green. 

" 'T is Spring ! the chaste snow-drop shrin£s fearful no more, 

The rose and the shrub, sweetly scented, app^KB^^' 

The mocking and red-bird their minstrelsy pour, 

And the swain follows, chanting, the plough-loving steer. 

" 'T is Spring ! and with blossoms the fruit trees are dress'd, 

The gardens, like Eden, their odors diffuse; 

The dove and the linnet are building the nest. 

As the leaflets throw open their charms to the dews. 

" 'T is Spring ! and, Louisa, with thee it is Spring, 
Long, long may thy beauty and transports remain ; 



272 MEMOIR OF 

But hours, the most vernal, are still on the wing, 
And the snows of December are found in their train. 

" 'Tis Spring ! and the gospel is lifting its voice, 
The nations all hail the acceptable day ; 
The hills and the heav'ns, with new glories rejoice, 
And pilgrims to bliss are pursuing their way. 

" O yes, there 's a Spring, ever fresh in the skies, 
Where streams ever flow, ever flourish the flow'rs ; 
Where from seraph and saint the loud anthems arise — 
May that blessed clime, dear Louisa, be ours. 

" Savannah, April 14, 1827." 

Shortly after his resignation he returned to visit his 
children. On his passage from Charleston to Philadelphia, 
he kept a diary, but, with the exception of one page, it is 
all lost. The passage was exceedingly tedious and dan- 
gerous. We insert the notes of two days, after they had 
been five days at sea. 

" April 30th. Saw several vessels, one from New Or- 
leans fifteen days. Took a pilot on board fifty miles from 
shore. Strong north-west head wind. Saw Henlopen 
light-house. 

"Maylst. Head wind continued, dreadful tossing. In 
the afternoon a gale sprung up, and we dropped anchor. 
The gale increased, with hail-storm. The anchor parted, 
and we were driven out to sea. I longed much to see my 
children, but all is well." 

On this page is a short poetic effusion, which appears to 
have been written on board the ship. It has no date. 

''The sun has just sunk in the orange of sky, 

The ocean's green surface is smooth. 

The sea-bird has uttered her evening cry, 

And Nature's soft images soothe : — 

And yet the tir'd mariner asks, on his knees. 

That the deep would her trouble renew. 



DK. STAUGHTON. 273 

That the sky wovrid commission a southerly breeze, 

And bring a lov'd city to view. 

Still, Patience, we bow to thy heart-cheering sway, 

And give to the calm all our sorrow. 

If the vision of home should descend not to-day. 

Perhaps we sliall see her to-morrow." 

His mind was much perplexed upon his return, as to the 
path of duty. The minority of the First Baptist Church 
of Philadelphia, who claimed to be the first cliiirch, were, 
at this time, in litigation with the body meeting in Second 
Street. The members seemed to regard the Doctor's re- 
signation of the Presidency of Columbian College, as favor- 
able to their interests, and they accordingly invited him to 
supply their pulpit. He preached to them for some time, 
with his former vigor, and, as formerly, attracted large 
assemblies. But he did not feel comfortable in the cir- 
cumstance of being a mere supply. In his situation, and 
at his time of life, he saw the importance of having a 
permanent settlement, in some desirable station, and that 
without delay. He received several calls to the pastorship 
of churches, but these did not exactly meet his views. 
His feelings on this subject are partially expressed in the 
following extract from a letter, dated May 18th, 18*23. 

^' I spoke yesterday, with much freedom, from the forty- 
second Psalm. It is rather singular, but it is a fact, I have 
not had an unpleasant season, in preaching, since I re- 
turned to Philadelphia. 

" Two of the members (deacons of the church) called 
on me on Monday last to state, that at a recent church 
meeting the question of my call to the pastorship was ao-i- 
tated. They stated they had not the least doubt that I 
should be elected ; but that it was the opinion of their 
attornies, that as the case had come into law, no chano-e 
ought to take place until the law had decided. They hoped 
24* 



274 MEMOIR OF 

that next December every thing would be settled ; but sug- 
gested that the opposite party might possibly contrive to 
have it put off for a much longer tim.e. Such is my present 
standing. Whether to continue in it or not, is to me a 
subject of some embarrassment. I trust the Lord will be 
my guide. In the Psalm which I have mentioned, I was 
much struck with the words, ' When I remember these 
things, I pour out my soul in meJ Depend upon it, my 
dear child, this is the very worst way of managing our sor- 
sows. Pouring out our souls in us is merely rendering 
affliction more severe. O may we be enabled to pour out 
our souls unto the Lord, who will strengthen, help, and 
bless us." 

In another letter, dated December 2d, 1S23, he writes: 
'' I cannot as yet distinctly discover the course which I 
ought to pursue in relation to the church which I am serv- 
ing. A few days will throw light upon the subject, when 
I hope to be able to write you." 

It became at length his settled conviction, that he could 
be more useful in some other sphere, and on the 3d of 
April, 1829, he resigned his connexion. 

A few months previously to this event, he was deprived 
by death of an amiable and valued nephew. He had 
gone to the North, for the recovery of his health, which 
was exceedingly impaired, but was never permitted to re- 
turn to the maternal mansion. He died in Boston, and, 
during the illness which terminated his life, was most ten- 
derly nursed by some of the friends of the family to whom 
he was introduced. 

The following letters from his affectionate uncle, will 
be read with pleasure and profit. 



{ 



DR. S T A U G II T O N. 275 

'' Philadelphia, September 14, 1S2S. 
*' Dear Sir, 

" At the request of our whole family, and particularly of 
my afflicted sister, Mrs. Wythe, I write you a line to express 
our gratitude. I can assure you, it is very deep-felt grati- 
tude, for the attentions, yourself, your invaluable daugh- 
ters, and your whole household paid my deceased nephew, 
during his affliction, and at the approach of his departure 
hence. May the God of the widow recompense you ten 
thousand fold ! I have no doubt he will do this. Kind- 
ness to the afflicted is bread cast upon the waters. The 
Saviour claims the kindness, as extended to himself. ' Ye 
did it unto me.' 

" The poor mother has borne up under the trial beyond 
my expectation. She has found grace equal to her day, 
and though time is necessary to diminish the effervescence 
of her distress, she has exhibited that holy resignation 
which has constrained every pious observer to say, ' Here 
is the patience and the faith of the saints.' It has been 
peculiarly supporting to her, that a gracious providence 
raised up for the dear deceased, friends so kind, when far 
distant from his native home. 

" The providence is truly mysterious which bears from a 
mother an only son, and she a widow, but, unquestionably, 
the ways of the Lord are right. We are permitted to dis- 
cover the paths of infinite wisdom, but not to comprehend 
divine designs. We have many reasons to justify the belief 
that Sutton expired a sincere Christian, and that he shall 
come, 

' Out of his grave, fresh as tlie dawning hght.' 

" An account of the expenses attendant on the inter- 
ment, you will have the goodness to transmit. The amount 
shall be forwarded as soon as possible, with many renewed 



276 MEMOIR OF 

thanks. I pray the blessing of the Lord may long and 
largely rest on you and yours, O that it may be our mercy 
to stand with girded loins and burning lamps, that, at what 
hour soever the Son of Man shall come, we may have our 
pinions prepared, to fly away to the land where there is no 
death. 

" My sister and family tender you our respectful and 
affectionate remembrances. 

" I am, dear sir, your obliged and respectful friend, 

WJM. STAIIGHTON. 

'' S. M. Philips, Esq." 

" Philadelpliia, Sept. 22, 1828. 
'' My dear Sir, 

" The kind letters you forwarded to my sister, at the 
time when the hand of the Lord was heavy upon her, we 
have received. They were balm to her wounded spirit. I 
trust the Lord will abundantly compensate you for your 
humane and pious endeavors to mitigate the affliction, 
which only the Hand that has smitten can entirely assuage. 
Perhaps the tide will never wholly subside, until the mother 
shall reach the land where there is no more sorrow, and 
when she shall see the dear departed, 

' High in salvation and the climes of bliss.' 

" The support which she has enjoyed has transcended 
my highest expectations. She had learned to lean on an 
everlasting arm, and that arm has been her strength and 
stay. Sutton was so amiable a youth that he secured to 
himself not only the best affections of all his relatives, but 
also of all who knew him. Unassuming in his manners, 
virtuous in all his habits, unusually skillful in the busi- 
ness he had acquired, and possessed of an integrity as 
inflexible as his heart was gentle, he promised to become 
an ornament to society ; and more especially to be the prop 



DR. STAUGHTON. 277 

of his mother in life's decline ; but infinite mercy and uis- 
dom have frustrated human calculation, and taught us, 
that 

' The brightest things below the skies, 

Give but a flattering light.' 

" It is a great comfort to his mother to know, that the 
eye and hand of friendship soothed his declining days. 
Her own presence could scarcely have contributed more 
to the calming of his bosom, so much are the strokes of the 
Lord softened by his gentle Providence, and so true is it, 
that the spirit of the Gospel stands prepared to sympathize 
and console where distress presents itself. Like its author, 
it is • acquainted with grief 

" The articles your goodness forwarded have been re- 
ceived. Should it ever be in my power, or, in the power 
of any of the family, to render offices of kindness at any 
time to you or yours, it will furnish the highest gratifi- 
cation. 

" My sister and her daughter unite in sentiments of 
grateful esteem. 

" I am, dear sir, your obedient friend and servant, 

WM. STAUGHTON. 

" F. MosELY, Esq." 

To Mr. John Wilson, 

'' Dear Sir, 

" I had heard from several sources, but more especially 
through the channel of our mutual friend, Mr. Sharp, of 
the kindness you showed to my beloved nephew, while he 
was yet a sufferer in this valley of tears, and to his remains, 
when it was the pleasure of the Lord to send down his 
chariot, and convey him hence. 

** His poor mother and sister, with all the family, unite 
in testimonies of the most lively gratitude, and in the 



278 MEMOIR OF 

prayer and assurance, that the God of mercy will afford 
you an ample recompense. He was, indeed, a youth whom 
all might love. Such was the gentleness of his manners, 
such his steadiness in business, such the mild intelligence 
of his countenance, such his habitual bias for the house of 
God, and for sacred things, that he was not more the 
hope of his widowed mother, than he was the pride of all 
his connexions. His heart was affectionate, and his morals 
unsullied. But, alas ! the most promising flowers often 
fade before the sun, which produced them ! Some unseen 
worm lurks in the blossom, and destroys the anticipations 
that were created. I am happy to inform you, that my 
sister has been supported beyond our expectations. She 
has distinctly seen the hand of the Lord in this visitation, 
and has been enabled to say, 

' Still as thou smitest, smile, and then smite on.' 

" Oh how valuable that religion, which can sustain the 
soul, when the fig-tree forbears to blossom, and when the 
vine is wasted. The Gospel is a system, above all others, 
calculated for wiping away the tears of sorrow. 

" We regard it as an act of kindness, for which we want 
language to thank you, that you solicited his interment in 
your family vault. It is the wish of our hearts that every 
guest that vault contains, and that may be deposited there, 
when the last trump shall sound, may come forth fashioned 
like unto the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ. May 
his gracious eye watch all the dust till he shall bid it rise. 

" Should it at any time be in our power to testify our 
feelings by any acts of kindness, to yourself or to any of 
the family, it will impart the highest gratification. 

" My sister and her daughter unite with us all, in senti- 
ments of the most grateful esteem. 

" I am, dear sir, yours most truly, 

WM. STAUGHTON." 



DR. STAUGHTON. 279 

About this time he wrote to his son in Washington, as 
follows : ' I went to the House of Refuge, and preached 
there. It was to me a most affecting scene. Thirty boys, 
eleven girls, all culprits, separated from accomplished vil- 
lains, and weeping under the word of life. I spoke with 
the greatest pleasure from Psalm 34th. * Hearken unto 
me, ye children, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.' 
It was a very melting season. The boys were dressed 
very neatly, and the girls almost elegantly. You would 
scarcely have supposed it a prison. Afternoon and even- 
ing, I preached at the academy. Evening very crowded. 
Text, Heb. xi. I. 

'' Many a sermon have I preach'd, 
And exhortation given ; 
Yet earth no recompense has reach'd, 
But whispered, wait for heaven." 

He is now, we trust, safely beyond the influence of hu« 
man caprice and mutation. 



280 MEMOIR OF 



CHAPTER XII. 

His appointment to the Presidency of the Georgetown Literary and 
Theological Institution — its influence upon that place — his mar- 
riage — removal from Philadelphia, and decease, at the city of 
Washington — Letters of condolence. 

For a short time Dr. Staughton preached to the church, 
meeting in New Market-street, Philadelphia, and they were 
upon the eve of giving him a call to the pastorship, when 
his attention was directed to another section of the Union. 

The Baptists in the State of Kentucky had, previously 
to this time, originated a Literary and Theological Institu- 
tion, to be located in Georgetown. It was well endowed, 
sustained by some of the ablest men in the State, and 
nothing appeared to be wanting, to raise it at once to the 
highest standing, but the talents, address, and influence of 
such a man as Dr. Staughton. On him, therefore, the 
trustees fixed tjieir hopes. 

A correspondence was opened with him upon the sub- 
ject, as early as the month of July, 1829, through the Rev. 
Dr. Noel of Kentucky. 

'' FranJcfort, Ky. July, 1829. 
" Brother Staughton, 

" For several years I have not had the pleasure of a line 
from you. I now address you with some hope of moving 
you to Kentucky. May I be allowed to name you to our 
Board, as president of a Baptist college in Georgetown, 
Kentucky? The prospects are these. The people of Scott 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 281 

county have secured to the Board 20,000 dollars, and the 
county academy, &>c. worth 5000 dollars, for this purpose, 
now on interest. We have the promise of 25,000 dollars 
from an individual, to improve our ministry, about half 
already in hand. With this beginning can you venture to 
come to Kentucky, to aid in rearing a college, in connexion 
with this Corporation ? " 

About a month after this, he wrote upon the subject to 
his son in Washington, expressing his feelings, in which 
separation from his children seemed to lay most heavy on 
his heart. 

''Philadelphia, Aug. 11, 1829. 
'' My dear James, 

*' I have been waiting for some time with much anxiety 
for an opening in the providence of God, where I might, 
for the few remaining days of my existence, find a home. 
Two have offered. I wrote you last evening on the sub- 
ject by the Rev. Mr. H , v/ho promised to deliver my 

letter as soon as possible. One of the openings is the New 
Market-street church in this city. The other is a call to 
the presidency of a college, forming at Georgetown, Ky. 
On this subject Mr. H.'s packet will communicate all the 
particulars I know at present. My mind is much divided. 
The idea of seven or eight hundred miles distance from 
all of you, and my beloved grand-children, is to my mind 
almost intolerable. Contemplated and forming rail-roads 
may lessen the evil,- but the evil still strikes me as fearful." 

On the 14th of August, 1829, after much conflict of 
mind, he signified to Dr. Noel his willingness to embark 
in this new field, and shortly after received the following 
letter, announcing his election to the presidency. 
25 



282 M E ai o I R o F 

''Frankfort, Ky. Sept. 4, 1829. 
" Dear Sir, 

" At a meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Education So- 
ciety, held at Georgetown, on Tuesday last, by the unani- 
mous vote of the trustees, you were elected president of 
their Literary Institution, established in that town. The 
society is disposed to make your salary entirely satisfactory 
to yourself They earnestly desire to see you, at their ap- 
proaching semi-annual meeting, on the first Tuesday in 
November next, in Georgetown. 

^' Please favor me with an early reply. 

'' Very affectionately yours, 

S. M. NOEL, President:' 

In another letter from the same hand, it will be per- 
ceived how much the infant institution, in the view of its 
friends, depended upon the influence which he was capable 
of exerting. 

" As the rearing of this college is likely to devolve 
chiefly on yourself, allow me to advise, that you devote the 
next Vv^inter to travelling through Kentucky, Tennessee, 
Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, to awaken the public 
attention, and particularly that of our brethren, on the 
subject of education, as well as religion. If necessary, I 
may go with you. The Board will be disposed to be coun- 
selled by you in the entire organization. Apprize me as 
soon as practicable, when you may be expected. 

" Yours truly, 

S. M. NOEL." 

'' PMladelphia, Sept. 19, 1829. 
'' Dear Sir, 

" Your favor of the 4th instant, announcing my election 
to the presidency, about to be established at Georgetown, 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 283 

Ky. I have received. In the fear of the Lord, and humbly 
imploring his gracious assistance, I solemnly accept it. 
From all I know of the character of the trustees, I can 
have no hesitancy in relying on their firm support, and in 
anticipating their Christian affection. I beg of them to be 
assured that whatever contributory hints I may be able to 
sucraest, in reference to the organization of the institution, 
and what services soever I can render for the promotion 
of sound learning and evangelical truth, shall be entirely at 
their command. The training of pious youths, approved by 
the churches, for the labors of the pulpit, has long been 
my element and joy. I will try, if practicable, to be pres- 
ent at your semi-annual meeting, if not, as soon as I can 
after it. 

** I am, dear sir, your brother and friend, 

WM. STAUGHTON. 
S. M. Noel, D. D. Pres. of the 
Kentucky Bap. Ed. Society J' 

When his acceptance of the presidency was made known 
at Georgetown, it threw new life into the place. 

Dr. Noel, in a letter to the editor, observes : 

" I never had the pleasure of a personal acquaintance 
with the late Rev. Dr. Staucrhton. I have been taught, even 
from my boyhood, by my father (the late Rev. Theodorick 
Noel, of Essex, Virginia,) and others who knew him well, 
suitably to appreciate his standing as a Gospel minister. 

" When the trustees of the Kentucky Baptist Education 
Society, were looking about for the most eminent scholar 
and divine of the Baptist denomination to preside over the 
destinies of the Georgetown college. Dr. Staughton was se- 
lected. When his acceptance was announced, public expec- 
tation rose high, the friends of the college could no longer 
feel themselves in the shade of the older institutions. But 



284 MEMOIR OF 

the tidings of his death were most appalling. To this mo- 
ment we labor under the unhappy consequences of that 
most unpropitious bereavement." 

Another very important change was about this time 
made in his life. He was united in marriage on the 27th 
of August, 1829, to Miss Anna C. Peale, daughter of James 
Peale, Esq. of Philadelphia. 

On the 20th of October, 1829, he left Philadelphia, for 
the scene of his contemplated labors, but, in the provi- 
dence of God, was destined never to reach it. From his 
brethren and friends, he received many testimonials of 
affectionate and deeply regretted parting. The New Mar- 
ket-street church, for which he had frequently preached, 
presented to him the follovv'ing, as an expression of their 
high regard and affection for his character. 

" It has been the pleasure of Almighty God to permit 
our brother, the Rev. Dr. Staughton, to preach for us the 
last ten weeks, to our entire satisfaction and edification. 
He presented the glorious doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus 
Christ, which are held precious by all the Baptist churches 
in this region of the country. And whereas it appears 
to be the will of the Great Head of the Church, that he 
should spend the remainder of his days among the Baptist 
churches in the Western States, but more especially to fill 
the important office of president of the college in George- 
town, Kentucky, 

" We, therefore, present this as a faint tribute of respect 
for the high consideration which we have of him, as a ser- 
vant of the Most High." 

The disease, which finally terminated his life, had already 
commenced its work. The idea of being separated from 
his children, probably contributed, in no small degree, to 
sink a constitution, already yielding to its influence. In a 
letter to one of his children he writes : '' My heart is 



DR. STAUGHTON- 285 

wrung with the idea of parting with you for the West. I 
do not think I can give the farewell kiss to my inestimable 
Mary, (his eldest grand-child) although the rest I know 
not how to love less. Well, perhaps, we shall see each 
other in Baltimore again. If not, I trust we are going, 
where 

' We shall see and hear and know^ 

All we desired or wished below !' " 

When he reached Baltimore it was obvious to his family 
that the moment of his departure was hastening on. After 
spending a few days with his children in this city, his 
anxiety to reach the place of his destination, induced him 
to proceed to Washingtt^n, though in a state of health 
exceedingly delicate and painful. He bore the journey 
better than was contemplated, and during the night that 
he was on board the steam-boat, was favored with a pecu- 
liarly happy frame of mind. Mrs. Staughton, after their 
arrival at Washington, writes as follows : '' I fell asleep 
with a heavy heart, thinking of your beloved father's situa- 
tion. I was awakened by a slight noise, which he made in 
dreaming. I went to him and spoke, on which he looked 
at me and said, ' Oh, I have had such a heavenly vision,' 
and with a low voice repeated, ' Hallelujah ! Hallelujah ! 
Hallelujah P " 

At times, hopes were entertained of his recovery, but 
they ultimately proved delusive. After reaching Wash- 
ington, he so far regained strength as to preach once, and 
to write a few letters. The following was written by him 
to the Rev. Dr. Noel. 

''Washington, Nov. 2, 1829. 
"Dear Sir, 

" I have tried, but found it beyond my power, to reach 
Georgetown by the time of the serai-annual meeting of the 

25* 



286 M E BI O 1 R OF 

Kentucky Baptist Education Society. I have sent on, by 
wagons, my books, and some other articles, which I have 
directed to Georgetown. 

*' Myself and Mrs. Staughton are thus far on our jour- 
ney, all anxiety to reach the spot which Providence ap- 
pears to have pointed to, as our ultimate habitation. I 
must spend a few days with my children here, and render 
my journey easy as possible, in consequence of some weak- 
ness of body, resulting from a bilious attack, which oc- 
curred a little time before I left Philadelphia. In the 
expectation of shortly seeing yourself and the managers, 
face to face, and uniting our counsels for the advancement 
of sound learning, and the cause, of the Redeemer, 

'' I am respectfully yours, 

WM. STAUGHTON." 

In a few days after this, with a tremulous hand, he wrote 
to his daughter in Baltimore. 

" My precious Leonora, 

" Your kind letter of the 2d is received, for which ac- 
cept my warmest thanks. The evening I took leave of 
you seemed covered with death's deepest shadows, but they 
did not endure for a night. I forgot all, in a sweet sense 
of divine protection, and in refreshing sleep. I am not 
yet restored, yet I trust I am improving. It is a consid- 
erable time since I had so fine a night's rest as the last. 
Still my recovery shev/s a reluctance, which I am left to 
deplore. The will of the Lord be done. 

" I should like you, my love, to write me, at farthest, 
every two or three days, for soon the periods of our in- 
tercommunications will become afflictingly remote. 

'' Indulge me, my child, with an interest in your suppli- 



DR. S T A U G II T O N. 287 

cations at a throne of mercy. I pray, my daughter, for 
you. 

" May the precious rays of a Saviour's countenance, 
beam on us while here, and descend on our dying hour. 

" Your affectionate father, 

WxM. STAUGHTON." 

The last letter he ever wrote, was dated November 27th, 
1829. In this he says : " The first fortnight after I arrived 
at Washington, if I had possessed the power of writing, I 
should have had worse than nothing to have told you. 
The Lord has lately been pleased, I trust, to shine on my 
health. You will scarcely believe me when I tell you, 
that last Lord's day morning I preached for Mr. Brown. 
I was very happy once more to testify the Gospel of the 
grace of God. I expect to preach again next Lord's day." 

But he was disappointed. His disease returned with 
renewed violence. When extremely low, he was very 
desirous to see his eldest daughter, his other children 
being with him, but a gracious God saw fit that it should 
be otherwise. Her husband was at that time lying dan- 
gerously ill, and although but thirty-six miles distant, she 
was unable to be with him. 

His perfect resignation to the will of God is evident, 
from the following extract of a letter from his son. 

"Washington, Dec. 5, 1829. 
" Your letter, which arrived by to-day's mail, created 
great anxiety in our bosoms. We had been looking for 
you all the morning. Pa was very anxious. I sat up with 
him last night, and every hour he would ask, ' is it not 
almost time for the stage to arrive with my precious Leo- 
nora.' When your letter arrived I read him portions of it. 
' The will of the Lord be done. Tell Leonora that I have 



288 MEMOIR OF 

ceased to wish for her. The Lord has afflicted her. It is 
not her duty to come to me. Tell her I am resigned.* 
And, indeed, his mind since then has been quite easy 
about you. He is very calm. He says but little. Last 
night Mr. B. called and conversed, and prayed with him. 
Pa told him, that his hopes on Christ had been fixed for 
forty years, and that He was still his hope, and joy, and 
strength, and life. As regards eternity he said, ' All is 
right; all is right.' He awoke a few minutes ago ex- 
claiming, ' O what a heavenly view I have just now had,' 
— but was too weak to tell us any more. We are much 
gratified that his mind is in such a calm and holy state." 

Mrs. Staughton afterwards wrote a letter, by his request, 
to his daughter in Baltimore, of which the following is an 
extract. 

*' Washington, Dec. 8, 1829. 
" My dearest child, 

'' Sitting at this time at the side of your beloved Pa, he 
has just now said, ' My Anna, I want you to write a line to 
our dear Nora, and tender to her our dearest sympathies ; 
say, if we should never meet again on earth, to sing our 
hallelujahs together, we hope there is a better world where 
we shall meet.' I give you, my Leonora, word for word 
what your dear Pa says. He is still spared to us, but the 
physicians give no hope. Yesterday he was so much re- 
vived, that I fondly flattered myself, that the Lord was 
about to show his great power and mercy, and raise my 
beloved husband again= But I dare not flatter myself, 
against the opinion of all around me. I wish, my dear 
Leonora, I could say his ideas are clear, but I cannot, he 
lies almost always quiet, as though he were sleeping, but 
he is too weak, and his mind is too wandering, to hold any 



DR. STAUGIITON. 289 

thing like conversation. Almost as soon as I took up my 
pen he fell into a dose, and still continues so." 

Connected with this was a letter from his son, J. M. 
Staughton, M. D. " Pa is still very low. He wanders 
very much in his mind. We have no hope that he will 
recover. He may linger for several days, but I fear his 
disease has laid a deadly hold upon him. The Lord's will 
be done," 

He had a very strong impression before he left Phila- 
delphia, that his days were numbered. On one occasion, 
he took up his grandchild Mary in his arms and said, 
" Dear Mary, grandma will not he loitli you long, lie will 
die soon J ^ 

When he was about to leave Philadelphia, and, as the 
event proved, never to return, he said to an old friend of 
his, as he shook him by the hand for the last time, " We 
shall never meet again on earth.'' His heart was full, the 
tears rolled down his cheeks. After a moment's pause he 
recovered, and with a firm voice said, "But we shall meet, 
and all will be well." 

His impressions were realized. The time of his depart- 
ure was at hand. On the 12th day of December, 1829, 
aged 59 years, 11 months, and 8 days, he fell asleep in 
Jesus. 

" Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Yea, from 
henceforth, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors, 
and their works do follow them." ^& 

Great anxiety, as to the result of his sickness, was mani^ 
fested in Philadelphia and other places. His sister's house 
was continually filled with weeping friends, to obtain the 
latest information of his situation. The inquiry would 
often pass from one to another with trembling. Have you 
heard how Dr. Staughton is? All seemed interested in 
the question, yet all feared to hear the reply. 



290 MEMOIR OF 

The following letter from the Rev. Mr. Ballantine, of 
Philadelphia, expressed the feeling of multitudes at the 
time. It was addressed to his son. 

'^ My dear Sir, 

" Torn by anxious feelings about the state of your re- 
vered and much loved father, I beg you would seize a few 
moments to say by your own pen, what is his real state. 
It is my earnest prayer to our heavenly Father, that he 
would have compassion upon us, by sparing the life of our 
highly respected brother, your best of fathers, and make 
him yet in old age to bring forth much fruit. But my 
fears, hopes and anxieties, have increased amidst the 
different and contradictory accounts I have been able to 
obtain. I hope you will send me a few lines, that shall fill 
me with exceeding joy. His absence from us, in this his 
almost native city, is, were it not the will of the Lord, 
affliction enough, how much more to know of his afflicted 
state in Washington. We miss him much, not to say I. 
The letters and reports from your city, the most of them 
contradictory, and the questions anxiously proposed here, 
all discover the esteem in which he has been held. The 
Lord spare him, that he may recover strength. The Lord 
make the light of his face to shine upon him, and give 
him abundance of peace. Do remember me to him, in the 
simplicity of Christian love. Say, he lives in my heart, 
and the hearts of thousands. 

I am, my dear Sir, your anxious friend, 

WILLIAM BALLANTINE. 

The following letters give an ample and interesting re- 
lation of his sickness and decease. 



DR. STAUGUTON. 291 

Extract of a letter from his son. 

'' Washington, Dec. 14, 1829. 
" My dear L. 

" Our poor dear father has at length been called home 
by his blessed Master. He died without a single care or 
distress of mind — he died without pain. The consequence 
was, that his corpse wore a calm and placid aspect. Oh, 
my dear sister, you never saw any thing so beautiful as 
was the dead body of our beloved father. Such majesty 
and such beauty I never saw. He looked as he did in his 
best days, only with a softened beauty. We had an artist 
to take a cast of his face and neck, and when it is finished, 
I will beg you to accept of a copy for mine and Louisa's sake. 

'* I had the funeral services performed in the plainest, 
and yet the most respectful manner. All the clergy were 
present, even the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicar. The 
trustees, faculty and students of all the departments of the 
college, made arrangements and walked in procession. 
The house was surrounded by hundreds, who could not 
procure entrance. The Rev. Mr. Brown spoke. Dr. Cha- 
pin and Dr. Lawrie prayed, 

" My poor dear father died without feeling the agony of 
death. He fell asleep quietly and sweetly. I never heard 
any thing so melancholy, musical and mournful, as the 
last sighs, the three last sighs, of my dear father. They 
have been ringing in my ears ever since, and the sound of 
them will never leave me. Oh I that you could have 
heard them." 

Letter fro7n his affiictcd widow. 

" My beloved Daughter, 

" You request of me some account of your dear father 
from the time I became his favored and happy wife. 
That happiness was of short duration, for it pleased the 



"292 M E IvI C I R OF 

Lord to take him from me in but little more than three 
months after we were united. But O, I have great reason 
to bless the Lord for permitting me the privilege of adminis- 
tering to his last comforts, and smoothing his dying pillow. 
" It would seem that he had often at that period a pre- 
sentiment, that his time in this world of sorrow would be 
short; for sometimes when he was enjojing every appear- 
ance of health, he would say, ' My dear Anna, I some- 
times think my life may not be spared to be united to you. 
O how much do I need a dear companion, to soothe me in 
the decline of life. I have, for five years past, been like a 
pelican in the wilderness.' . On the evening of our mar- 
riage, my dear husband was suffering with a severe head- 
ache, which vi^as for several days attended with much 
fever. His physician called to see him two or three times, 
ordering a little mild medicine, which appeared to relieve 
him. He did not entirely recover his strength while we 
remained in Philadelphia, but continued his ministerial 
duties with all his wonted zeal, usually preaching three 
times on a Lord's day, and once or twice in the week. If 
there V7as any change in him at that time, it was his in- 
creased desire to see souls converted to God. The last 
sermon he ever preached in Philadelphia was from the 
words, ' And they shall see his face, and his name shall 
be in their foreheads.' It v, as eloquent and powerful, but 
he v/as weak and feeble, and the effort was too great. He 
nearly fainted before he left the house. The congrega- 
tion continued lingering, each wishing to get a parting 
blessing, and with many tears testifying their love to him. 
The house was crowded, and all seemed ' sorrowing most 
of all ' that they should see his face no more.'* On the 

* After service an aged friend came up and remarked to me, that 
in the course of thirty years, which he had been in the habit of 
hearing the Doctor preach, he had never heard him speak. with 
more vigor of intellect, than he had done that evening. 



D U. S T A U G II T O N. 293 

Tuesday following, he left Philadelphia for his children, 
in a neighboring city. He also preached on the morning 
of that day, although his walk to the meeting-house was 
very long, and he had gone through great fatigue in the 
course of the past week, preparing for his journey to the 
West. I think it was on the morning of that day, as we 
walked to the meeting-house, that he remarked, how la- 
mentable it was to hear young ministering brethren say, that 
it was too fatiguing to preach three times on a Sabbath ; 
hexsaid he would, at his time of life, be ashamed to say so. 
" His anxiety to commence his labors of usefulness in 
the West, was exceedingly ardent, and to the unwearied 
exertions he made to get away from Philadelphia, at the 
time we did, to pursue that object, do I attribute, in a 
great degree, the fatal consequences which followed. We 
left here October 20th, and arrived in Baltimore the same 
evening. You will recollect, your beloved father appeared 
unusually overcome with the fatigue of the journey ; it 
was attended with an alarmino; weakness, which induced 
me to urge him the next day to obtain medical advice. 
My dear husband was not altogether confined to his bed, 
but walked out frequently. His anxiety was so intense to 
proceed on the journey, that we only staid about ten days 
in Baltimore. We both flattered ourselves, that as he pro- 
ceeded, and received the benefit of a change of air, and 
the advice of our son, that he would continue to improve 
as he, for the last few days of our stay in Baltimore, ap- 
peared to have done. His physician thought him not 
sufficiently strong to proceed ; but seeing his great anxiety, 
concluded, that it would be best for us to go, as the delay 
might affect him more seriously than the fatigue of the 
journey, which could be performed with great ease in the 
steam-boat. We arrived at Washino;ton on the evenino- of 
November 1st. Your beloved father appeared astonish- 
26 



294 MEMOIROP 

ingly better, and I fondly flattered myself he would very 
soon be quite well. He continued to improve so much, 
that in about three weeks after our arrival, he was enabled 
to ascend the pulpit ; on which ocsasion he preached from, 
or rather expounded, the 84th Psalm. He again became 
more unwell, although he walked and rode out frequently. 

" The following Sabbath, after having preached at the 
Baptist church, he was anxious to preach in the Orphan 
Asylum. We prevailed on him to relinquish this idea. 
He, however, accompanied us there in the afternoon, to 
hear Mr. B., and, at his request, addressed the throne of 
grace. On the day previous to my becoming seriously 
alarmed about him, we had spent the day with your sister 
E. He appeared extremely fatigued, after having walked 
there, although but a short distance, and declined going to 
the dinner table. As he lay on the sofa, I prevailed on 
him to take a little nourishment from my hand, which he 
did, ever tender and anxious to gratify my wishes, and 
those of his children, so dear to his heart. It was with 
difficulty, that with the assistance of Dr. T. and myself, 
he was able to walk back again to your brother's house. 

" His feet had that day become so excessively swelled 
as to make it painful for him to walk. I was now sud- 
denly and inexpressibly alarmed, unable to conceal from 
my dear husband the agitation of my feelings. I left him 
in the parlor with two of his children, and retired to my 
room to seek relief for the agony of my feelings, in tears. 
As soon as I became a little composed, I returned to the 
parlor and found him engaged in conversation. He spoke 
with difficulty, and I feared the consequences of such an 
exertion, and urged his retiring to rest. It was the last 
time of his being up. O how shall I describe the recol- 
lection of that mournful period ? How shall I tell you my 
hopes and fears during the twelve days following. His 



DR. STAUGHTON. 295 

strength was now totally prostrated ; he was not able to sit 
up for one minute, or even to alter his position when we 
thought it necessary ; it brought on such an alarming 
shortness of breath, as to deter us sometimes from moving 
him more than once a day. 

" He was unable to speak much, for it invariably 
brought on a violent cou^h and shortness of breathincr. 
He would lay for several hours without speaking or no- 
ticing any thing. He said but little to me on the 
prospect of our separation ; his tender and affectionate 
heart could not bear to see the distress it occasioned. O 
how much have I lamented my weakness. I was often 
buoyed up with the hope, that his precious and useful life 
would be spared. I could not realize that he must in that 
sickness be taken away from me, and he was not aware 
himself, for some time, that it was a sickness unto death. 
He asked your brother what was the opinion of the phy- 
sicians ; for he had, besides our dear James, two of the 
oldest and most experienced practitioners in the place. 
James, in answer to his inquiry, candidly told him they 
had no hope of his recovery. My dear husband heard him 
with great calmness, and observed, that he had not con- 
sidered himself so ill, but added, ' The Lord will do what 
is right with me ; I am in his hands.' Whilst in this 
solemn conversation with his son, I sat weeping at a little 
distance, for I did not wish him to be disturbed at seeing 
my sorrow. He soon afterwards called me to him, and 
requested I would sit by him and write his farewell bless- 
ing to his dear Leonora, who had been sent for, but 
could not come, as her dear husband also lay dangerously 
ill. Seeing me still weeping, he said, ' Don't, my Anna, 
you know not how it distresses me.' I have great reason 
to praise the Lord for so wonderfully supporting me in 
that trying season, so that the last moments of my precious 



%^0 MEMOIR OP 

husband were not disturbed by me. The Lord mercifully 
kept me from despairing of his life. I could not give up 
the strong impression I had that his valuable life would be 
spared for further usefulness. Every circumstance relative 
to his removal to the West appeared plainly marked out 
by Providence. But to return. I sat down and wrote 
what he dictated, sending his tenderest love and farewell 
blessing; adding, that he gave her up cheerfully, although 
his anxious desire had been to have her with him in his 
last moments. When my tea was brought up to me that 
evening, I urged his taking something to eat, he replied, 
* to-morrow I will try, but not to-night. I must now think 
more, and pray more.' I do not think, as well as I can re- 
collect, that he spoke that night. I sat beside him until 
morning, and at times he breathed so low, that I frequently 
became alarmed, and called James, who remained with me 
to watch that night, to the bed-side ; I said, your Pa is 
sinking. He would feel his pulse, and satisfy himself that 
there was no cause for alarm. The next day your beloved 
father appeared much revived. 

" On the following Friday, every alarming symptom was 
so much abated, the physicians gave it as their opinion, 
that if we could prevail on your dear father to take nour- 
ishment, he might be raised. O how did my heart now 
bound with joy and hope. I prevailed upon him frequent- 
ly to take nourishing drink. The same afternoon, so 
cheered was I to see him so much revived, that I sat down 
by him with some sewing ; for he used to love to have me 
sit by him with my work, while he read aloud. He looked 
at me and said, in a sweet low voice, ' my Anna, are you 
going to have your husband back again?' I replied, 'I 
hope the Lord is about to spare you to me, my trust is 
alone in him. I know if it is his will he can soon raise 
you ;' he gave me a look signifying you are right. That 



DR. S T A U G n T O N. 297 

night, after having administered to him some drink, he beg- 
ged me to lie down ; it distressed him to find I was sitting 
up at night ; we both slept for more than half an hour. 
I was awakened by his appearing to be in pain, which in 
a few minutes went oif. A little before 12 o'clock, I ob- 
served a slight motion in his limbs. I looked in his face, 
his eyes were fixed. I put my arm under his head, and 
said, ' My husband, m.y dear husband, look at me, look at 
your wife.' Alas, he did not seem conscious of my voice 
or touch. We all stood in silence around his bed, no 
sound or breath was heard from him. In a moment or two 
more, three low, soft, sweet sighs, were breathed by him, 
and again all was still. O I shall never, never, forget that 
moment of agony. James raised his hand, as a token of 
silence, we still listened to catch another sweet, mournful 
sound. It was, as our dear James observed to me after- 
wards, like the wind softly sweeping over the fine chords 
of an yEolian harp. I continued with my arms round him, 
listeninsr in vain for another breath, or some sicrn of life, 
his dear eyes closed, as though he had sunk into a sweet 
sleep, only to wake and see his Saviour's face, without a 
veil between. 

'' Those who knew him best, knew how familiar he was 
wont to make himself with the thought of death. It had 
no terror to him ; he looked forward with a calm and holy 
confidence to those realms of bliss, where there is no sor- 
row, no pain, no night, but where the light of God's coun- 
tenance shall shine upon him forever and ever, and where 
he has now ' The Lamb' written on his forehead. 

" During his illness a ministering brother came to see 

him. He expressed his hope that his life would be spared. 

My dear husband replied, ' If it is the Lord's will, for my 

Anna's sake, and for the cause in which I have engaged 

26* 



298 M E M O I R O ¥ 

in the West, that I live a few years longer, I should be 
pleased ; but with me all is right, I know in whom I have 
believed; and that He, who has been my consolation and 
hope, and has kept me for forty years, will not at last for- 
sake me.' To another Christian friend, on being asked, if 
Christ was still precious to him he said, O yes, 

'' Christ is my light, my life, my care, 
My blessed" hope, my heavenly prize.' 

" I have lost the tenderest and most affectionate of hus- 
bands, and you the best of fathers. Our loss is his ever- 
lasting gain. O that the Lord would sanctify it to our 
souls ; and although separated on earth some hundreds of 
miles, may we at last be permitted to meet him in the 
Saviour's presence, and there join with him and all the re- 
deemed in glory, in everlasting songs of praise to Him, 
who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood." 



Extract of a letter front one of his daughters to a 

friend. 

" My dear father had been in the habit for many years 
of presenting me with a small pocket or memorandum 
book, on the commencement of every new year ; not as a 
testimony of his love, for that love was ever present to me ; 
but, as he expressed it, ' to note down the goodness of God, 
as the year rolled round.' 

'^ The last new year's day he ever spent on earth, I had 
my annual present. On the first page he wrote ' Presented 
by an affectionate father to a much loved daughter,' and 
then added the following stanza : 



D R. S T A U G H T O N. 299 

' My lot in future years, 
Unable to foresee ; 
HE kindly, to prevent my fears, 
Says, leave it all to me.' 

" When I received it from his dear hand, ah ! little did 
I think the sad record it was to bear ; for ere another new 
year's morn appeared, 

' He had vanished from my view 

Far, far, above heaven's brightest blue,' 

and I, left to mourn one of the most tender, affectionate, 
sympathizing parents, that ever child was blessed with. 
O my dear C, language fails to express what he was to his 
family. Every sorrow we felt was his, every joy made him 
rejoice. I was selfish in wishing him ever with me. He 
has often said, that his happiness in this world far overbal- 
anced his sorrows ; but he had his sorrows. He is now, I 
doubt not, where ' there shall be no more death, neither 
shall there be any more pain : for the former things are 
passed away.' 

" His death was everywhere learned with the deepest 
sorrow. The widow and the orphan wept freely, when 
they heard he was no more, for he was their benefactor. 
All classes of society felt the shock, and all could adopt 
the language, ' A great man — -fallen in Israel.' " 

The obituary notices which appeared in different publi- 
cations of the day, bear testimony to the intense interest 
with which he was regarded while livinor, and to the un- 
affected grief which his departure occasioned in the wide 
circle of friendship. 

We subjoin here a letter from Professor Chase to Dr. 
James N. Staughton, which, with many other letters of 
condolence, was received immediately after the Doctor's 
death. 



300 MEMOIR OF 

*' Dear Sir, 

'' The afflictive intelligence, that reached me last eve- 
ning, has awakened emotions, which I shall not attempt to 
describe. Most gladly would I pour consolation into your 
bosom, and wipe away the tears of your bereaved sisters, 
and of that amiable lady, who has so soon become a widow. 
But I need to be consoled myself I feel that I have lost 
a father. And thousands, I am confident, will sympathize 
in this bereavement. Long will his memory be cherished. 
His labors have not been in vain ; but though his own elo- 
quent tongue is silent, yet he lives and speaks in the in- 
creased usefulness of many a herald of salvation, whom he 
instructed and encouraged. The fruits of his faith and 
unwearied efforts in the missionary cause are beginning to 
be gathered beyond the Ganges. Many a family is rising 
up to call him blessed. Many a soul on earth, and many 
a soul now in heaven, was turned to righteousness through 
his instrumentality. 

*' May his God be, indeed, the God of all his children, 
and the refuge of each of us, 

' Till the storm of life be passed." 

" It would be gratifying to me to know the particulars 
of his last illness, and I hope that you and brother Lynd will 
prepare a suitable Memoir of him for the press. 

" Mrs. Chase unites with me in affectionate and sympa- 
thizing regards to yourself and the other members of the 
family. Our little son, too, whose name is a memorial of 
the deceased, mourns the common loss. 

" Most sincerely and most respectfully thine own friend, 
and thy father's friend, 

IRAK* CHASE." 



DR. S T A U G il T O N. 301 

Doctor Staughton was universally beloved by Christians 
of every denomination. Although he was a firm Baptist, 
he ever treated those who differed from him in doctrine, 
with esteem and affection ; and when he had occasion 
to speak on any controversial point, it was done in such a 
manner, that his very opponents loved him. 

The following is an extract of a letter to Mrs. Staugh- 
ton, from the Rev. James Taylor, of the Unitarian church 
of Philadelphia. 

'' During many years we were personal friends ; that is, 
from the time of his first removal to this city until he left 
it for the last time. I respected him while he lived, and 
honor his memory now that he is gone. 

" When we think of his talents, acquirements and 
virtues ; of his untiring assiduity, and of the amount of 
service which he rendered to the Baptists as a body ; 
perhaps no minister ever had higher claims on the re- 
spect, esteem and gratitude, of his Christian friends. 
But he had no worldly wisdom ; open-hearted, confiding, 
disinterested and generous ; he believed that all were 
like himself, and was not aware of the artifices of the 
designing, and the calculations of the selfish. Then, 
too, he was an Englishman; he was not, and could not 
be a political brawler, he spoke what he believed to be the 
truth in love ; not with sectarian contractedness ; for he 
had no theological bile, 

'' Often have I listened to him with high satisfaction ; 
and although differing from him as to certain points of 
doctrinal belief, the truly Christian spirit, which he invari- 
ably manifested when he had occasion to refer to (hose 
of other persuasions, was a sure indication that his was a 
faith that worked by love. 



302 MEMOIR OF 

" To you, who knew him so well, respected him so 
highly, and during a few short months stood in so close 
a connexion with him, much of what has now been 
written must be unnecessary ; yet it may not be wholly 
superfluous to show, that, beyond the denomination to 
which he belonged, he was an object of interest and 
esteem." 



D R, S T A U G H T N. 303 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Conclusion. 



Shortly after the decease of the Doctor, the Rev. 
James E. Welch, of Burlington, N. J. formerly a pupil, 
wrote to his son, Dr. James M. Staughton, to know 
whether it would be agreeable to the feelings of the chil- 
dren, that a monument should be erected over the grave, 
by the theological students of the deceased. 

The family cheerfully gave their consent, and the Rev. 
Messrs. Ashton and Welch, wrote letters, bearing the 
names of Sharp, Ashton, Welch and others, to all the stu- 
dents, from most of whom answers were received, express- 
ing the gratification it would afford them to forward an 
object, honorable to themselves, and grateful to the feel- 
ings of the numerous friends of Dr. Staughton. 

Subsequently to this determination, and while the monu- 
ment was preparing, his friends in Philadelphia expressed 
the desire, that his body might be removed to that city, to 
repose by the side of his former wife. This desire was 
acceded to on the part of the family, and preparations 
were made for its removal. 

On the ITth of November, 1832, the following publica- 
tion appeared in " The World," a religious paper, issued 
weekly, m the city of Philadelphia. 

" The remains of the late Dr. Staughton have been 
removed, under the superintendence of Dr. J. S. Wheeler, 
from the Episcopal burying-ground in Washington city, 



304 MEMOIR OF 

where they had rested for nearly three years, to tliis city ; 
and the 7th instant v/ere re-interred, in the Sansom-street 
cemetery, by the side of his first wife. Many of his former 
friends, and those in particular who had heard, during his 
ministry in this city, the word of life from his lips, a num- 
ber of his students, and also many brethren of the ministry, 
were present. At the grave, an appropriate and well re- 
ceived address was delivered by brother Perry, pastor of 
the first Baptist church ; which was followed by an im- 
pressive prayer to the throne of grace, offered by brother 
Dagg, pastor of the fifth church. The benediction was 
pronounced by brother H. G. Jones, of Lower Merion 
church. 

" The scene was one of solemn interest. Many eyes 
were filled with tears of sympathy, and the bosoms of 
many vibrated to the memory of by-gone days, as they 
could say of the dear departed, in the heart's own silent 
language, ' We took sweet counsel together, and walked 
to the house of God in company.' 

Address of the Rev. Mr. Perry, at the re-interment. 

*' In detailing the history of man, it is customary to 
speak of his birth, life and adventures ; his sickness, death 
and burial ; it is not common to have occasion to describe 
his re-appearing upon the earth, and his recom.mitment to 
the tomb. But such is the case to day. The history of 
the noble personage, whose endeared remains lie before 
us, would be one of importance and value under any cir- 
cumstances ; because he lived not so much for himself as 
he did for man — for the church — for the mental cultiva- 
tion of others. But it strikes me, that the providence of 
God intends a very important lesson of admonition and in- 
struction by this occurrence. The sight of the broken 



DR. STAUGHTON. 305 

remains of even a stranger, cannot be indulged without 
emotion, and some serious thought : — to see the noble 
structure torn down, its walls demolished and laid apart, 
the damps and rusts of death dissolving and eating up the 
bones, and turning the flesh to dust, is a lesson, the force 
of which cannot be well repelled but by the cold-hearted 
sceptic. But w^hen we can look down and say, that this 
now shapeless heap of earth was once my dear, intimate, 
and valued friend, my neighbor, my instructor, the guide 
of my youth, my pastor, from whose lips I heard the words 
of life, by whom I was baptized, from whose hands I have 
received the ' Supper of the Lord,' — who stood by the 
couch of sickness, and the pillow of death, who often 
came to this very cemetery, to console the living over the 
dead — I say, in such reflections, we find a group of cir- 
cumstances which most painfully quickens the memory, 
excites sympathy, and draws out the heart-touching ex- 
clamation — ' My father, my father !' — and because you 
see him no more as you have seen him, you may feel as 
the lamenting prophet did, who ' took hold of his own 
clothes, and rent them in pieces.' (2 Kings ii. 12.) 

" But what are we told by this event? When this man 
was first interred, he was recognized as bearing the same 
general features as when living. True, his heart was still, 
his voice was silent, but he was Icnown. He lay wrapped 
in linen clean and white, enclosed in a small, but highly 
finished and decorated house. He was carried to the 
grave, formed and fitted with care and expense, and he 
was laid down with a cautious, gentle, solemn hand. 
When his coffin was lodged upon its bed, the sleeping 
occupant seemed to say, ' here, friends, most quietly and 
sweetly I shall rest — I am out of time, and therefore, out 
of trouble, having hope in the mercy of God.' His place 

looked enviable, and had it not been for this day's events, 

27 



306 MEMOIR OF 

your last thoughts of him would always have been such as 
were created by the ch'cumstances just detailed. You 
could not have followed on, and watched the gathering 
damps, and pale, cold mould of the grave, which forms 
the riot of the guileful worm, which lives to be buried 
with the dead, and lives the longer for being buried. Im- 
agination could hardly have painted or art have drawn, 
the silent, sure, and ever steady work of wasting carried 
on by death, even where we supposed death had lost its 
power. But now we shall go from this place under the 
most solemn, humble, and affecting impressions and con- 
victions of what is done by the destroyer in the grave. 
Look, what do we behold ! let the sceptic acknowledge 
that in one instance certainly, the Scripture is fulfilled, 
' Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' 
. "But, my friends, let us derive instruction from what we 
here witness. By one man sin entered the world, and 
death by sin. Death has passed upon all, for all have sin- 
ned. There is, therefore, no discharge in this war. Death 
is a solemn event : it disconcerts the schemes our busy 
minds had formed ; it sunders all the endearments of life ; 
it changeth the countenance, and sendeth man away ; it 
makes the laborer turn from his employ, and the author 
from his task ; it divorces from this life, and marries us to 
eternity ; it does so, by tearing down the house of this tab- 
ernacle, and turning it to corruption. 

" But death is much more solemn, when we consider 
our relations to another world. Death is not the extinc- 
tion of existence, it is only the conclusion of one mode of 
it. We close our eyes on sense and matter, but immedi- 
ately open them, where it is all around inscribed — here 
there is no death ; but ' he that is unjust, let him be unjust 
still ; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he 
that is righteous, let him be righteous still ; and he that is 



DR. STAUGHTON. 307 

holy, let him be holy still.' ' It is appointed unto man, 
©nee to die, but after that the judgment.' Death, beyond 
all comparison, is the most momentous event that can pos- 
sibly befall us. 

" Over the ashes of one whose memory is so dear to us, 
let us, my brethren of the ministry, learn the value of time, 
and the importance of discharging the duties of our re- 
sponsible and holy calling, with zeal, faithfulness, and 
piety. The shafts, flying on every side, hurled by one 
whose aim is sure, though they have passed on our right 
hand and on our left, have struck down lover and friend, 
and consigned them to the land of silence, will soon be 
levelled at our hearts ; for we too are earthen vessels, 
liable daily to be broken, and laid aside as unfit longer for 
the master's use. May our language then be — * It is better 
to depart and be with Christ.' ' To die is gain.' ' I tmi 
ready to be offered.' 

" These remains have been removed by these gentlemen 
to this place, with the intent, here to erect a memento of 
their departed instructer ; and in doing it they place side 
by side the husband and the wife of his youth. They 
have been for many years separated, but finally have come 
to enjoy together their long, silent, and last slumber. We 
suppose, never again is this tomb to be opened until the 
heaving earth shall yield to the voice of the judgment 
trump. Peace to these ashes, and let it be here written, 
* The memory of the just is blessed.^ 

'' But while the marble slab shall tell who lies beneath 
it, and who caused it to be thus placed and inscribed, let 
those who do it consider that there is another, a better, 
and more desirable method of preserving the ' memory' 
they love. You are all ministers, — preach the doctrine 
your instructer preached, endure hardships as he endured, 
be zealous and indefatigable as he was, forgive enemies as 



308 MEMOIR OF 

he forgave ; do these, and the sainted Staughton, even in 
heaven, can adopt the language, once uttered on earth by 
an inspired Apostle — ' Ye are our epistle, vi^ritten in our 
hearts, known and read of all men; forasmuch as ye are 
manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered 
by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the liv- 
ing God ; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the 
heart.' This beautiful sentiment would then be a living, 
acting, walking pillar of fame to the memory of Dr. 
Staughton over the land ; for his theological children are 
scattered throughout the hosts of our Israel. 

" I never had the pleasure of a personal acquaintance 
with Dr. Staughton, but his name is associated with the 
progress of our denomination in this region, and with the 
enlargement and cultivation of learning in the extensive 
ajaf^re he occupied. But I stand not here to pronounce, 
in particular, his eulogy, or to detail minutely his eventful 
and valuable life ; but I stand here by the request of those 
gentlemen, once his students, now his mourners, who have 
asked of me a few remarks, so that we may derive profit 
from the melancholy spectacle before our eyes. But before 
retiring, I must be allowed to say, that Dr. Staughton was, 
as all who knew him must in truth testify, possessed of 
rare and high natural endowments, and it is equally true, 
that he claimed a distinguished degree of mental superior- 
ity. His learning was various, and of the first order ; his 
apprehension was quick, his judgment accurate, his imagi- 
nation vigorous, bold, fertile, and ready ; his enunciation 
was eloquent, his appeals clear and forcible. His poetry 
was classically correct, thrilling, and often sublime. Of 
music he was a critical judge, and a decided amateur. 
Few could more nicely or instantaneously discriminate 
the defects, or excellencies of a performance ; but his 
modesty, and disinclination to give pain, often led him to 



DR. S T A U G H T O N. 309 

forbear expressing his opinions, unless they were favora- 
ble. His friendship was strong, ardent, and sincere. He 
opposed, or approved with discretion. 

He had many, very many friends, who loved him through 
life, unto, and after death ; many of whom are now stand- 
ing around me, and can witness that these things are so. 
He has passed away from us, but of him it may be truly 
said — Mortalitate relictcB, vivit immortalitate indutus." 

The handsome monument, procured by his pupils in 
theology, as a testimony of their affection, was er^^^i 
over his grave, Jan. 4, 1834. On this occasion, the ^B^ 
R. W. Cushman, offered an appropriate prayer ; and the 
Rev. W. E. Ashton, after reading the inscription on the 
monument, made a few striking remarks. He was t hug 
happy in his closing sentence : — " As he lived much ^^^ 
loved, he died much lamented. We may say that a gre^T^ 
man has fallen. Though fallen, yet shall he rise ; for 
* blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord.' — ' The Lord 
himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, and with 
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, 
and the dead in Christ shall rise.' Then shall our much 
revered and beloved instructer come forth from the ' bond- 
age of corruption,' to be numbered with the teachers who 
shall ' shine like the sun in the firmament, and having 
turned many to righteousness, as the stars forever and 



With the following inscription on his monument, and 
Note on the death of his son, we close the volume. 



310 INSCRIPTION ON THE MONUMENT 



iW 







First side. 

In jiiemors of 

REV. WILLIAM STAUGHTON, D. D. 

for many years 

PASTOR OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH 

in 

Sansom-street, 

and 

CIPAL OF THE BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION 

in this city. 

He was also the 

FIRST CORRESPONDING SECRETARY 

to the 

BAPTIST BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS; 

First President of the 

COLUMBIAN COLLEGE, D. C. 

and at the time of his decease 

PRESIDENT ELECT 

of 
GEORGETOWN COLLEGE, KENTUCKY. 



Second 


side. 


ERECTED BY 




HIS 


PUPILS IN THEOLOGY, 

as a 
. Tribute of Gratitude 
to 

AN ABLE INSTRUCTER, 




and a memento of affection for 






A TRIED FRIEND. 



OVER DR. STAUGHTON's GRAVE. 311 



Third side. 

As an early and efficient friend of 

FOREIGN MISSIONS ; 

As a most eloquent and faithful 

PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL; 

and 

AS A SKILFUL INSTRUCTER OF YOUTH; 

He devoted the energies of a vigorous body, and the various 

erudition of a fertile mind, to the service of his Saviour, 

and the good of his fellow-men, for more than 

forty years, with a zeal that never 

appeared weary in well doing. 



1 





Fourth 


side. 

IN 


He was born 
COVENTRY, ENGLAND, 

JANUARY 4, 1770. 

He rested from his labors 




^ 




IN 


THE 


CITY OF WASHINGTON, 

DEC. 12, 1829. 
In the 60th year of his age. 


D. C. 




His 


remains were removed to this city, to sleep 
whom his ministry had pointed to Heaven 
here await the resurrection of the Just. 


among 
; and 


those 



^.., ' NOTE, which ought to have been inserted in page 32. 1 

'\ /.- ■*■" " ' .; 

_ * DR. JAMES M. STAUGHTON departed this life on the sixth dsy of August, 
in the year of our Lord 1833. Through his vvhole^sickness he entertained a hope of 
the mercy ol God, through Jesus Christ. A few minutes before he expired he was 
asked the question, "Are your evidences bright now?" He replied, " generallv very 
clear, but sometimes a dark cloud comes." He paused a moment, and said,' " Oh, 
the glory of God— dark! no, it is not dark, it is all light! The light of the Lord's 
countenance ! Now I know the meaning of the light ol the Lord's countenance . how 
bright the glories of Jesus are!" and he raised his dying hand to his eyes, as though 
overpowered by the heavenly vision. His eldest sister said to him "Jesus is your 
^'^'"^V' u?^ replied, "He is— he groaned, he bled, he died for me, and I hope, 
through him, my sms are forgiven. Hope, did I say ? I fcnow, through him my sins 
are forgiven ! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly ! Come, Lord— come— come— come" 
— and he fell asleep. 

The following tiibute to his worth appeared in the Nat. Gaz. of Philadelphia. 
" Dr. JAMES M. STAUGHTON, whose lamented death has been noticed in the pa- 
pers of this city, was well known to many of its inhabitants. He was the only sou of 
the late Rev. Dr. Staughton, whose pulpit fame is in the recollection of thousands. 
He was born in Bordentown, New Jersey, in the year 1800, but received his education, 
bolh literary and medical, in the city of Philadelphia. He was laborious m the ac- 
quisition of knowledge, and while a student gave strong indications of future eminence. 
Before he received the degree of M. D., he gave lectures on natural phiiosophv, in a 
female seminary conducted by his father, that did him much credit. While a p'upil in 
the Philadelphia Alms House, he acquired much of that practical tact which ctmi- 
mended him subsequently to public notice as a physician and surgeon ; and in his devo- 
tion to his duties in that institution, he well nigh lost his life by the epidemic typhus 
fever. As a student he commanded universal lespect; for he was kind, couiteous 
and conciliating. Ho was highly esteemed for his integrity and manly deportment. 
Gjl^ies which marked his character to the close of life. With more than usual credit 
^^^ssed the examination for the doctorate, and received his diploma from the Uni- 
^■■fy of Pennsylvania, in the year 1821. Not long after this he removed to the city 
of Washington, for the purpose of pursuing his piofession, and there assisted in form- 
ing the Columbian Medical College, in which be held the professorship of chemistry, 
and afterwards that of surgery. He was deputed by the College to visit Europe, for 
the purpose of collecting apparatus and books, and was absent on that errand about two 
years. This visit was partly, also, for his own personal advantage— for he availed 
himself of all the great scicntihc benefits that were to be derived from an acquaintance with 
Sir Humphrey Davy, Dupuytien, Sir Astley Cooper, and the other eminent men who 
have given celebrity to the foreign schools. On his return to this country, he entered 
■with new vigor on the discharge of his professional and professorial functions. So 
obvious was his attention to, and success in the former, that the Hon. Jud^e M'Lane, 
of the Supreme Court, who was, arid continued to be warmly attached to^'him, pre- 
vailed on him to consent to change his location for the city of Cincinnati : and as a 
proof of his fidelity as a college functionary, he received, unasked, a decided testi- 
monial of approbation from the institution. Previous to his removal, he was united 
in wedlock to the amiable lady who is now his widow, and who mourns a loss that 
none can estimate who did not fully know his worth. Dr. S. had not Ion"- been a 
resident of Cincinnati, without gaining much of the public favor. His engagTu" man- 
ners soon rendered him as deservedly popular as was his worthy father in Philadelphia 
in the most successful period of his ministerial labors. He took an active part in the 
Lyceum and Mechanics' Institute of Cincinnati, where he gave some of the most 
interesting experimental lectures that were ever delivered in those institutions. As a 
professor of surgery in the Medical College of Ohio, he acquired a larger share of 
popular regaid than is ordinarily enjoyed; and his attention to pupils and others fiom 
remote places, endeared him to those who had the happiness to share in his kindness. 
His devotion to the patients in the Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum of Ohio' 
■will ne.ver be forgotten by those who live to bear them in remembrance; and never 
were gratuitous services more faithfully and successfully bestowed, than were his in this 
establishment. He has left a chasm in the Medical College of Ohio that will not easily 
be filled; for he was not only an able professor, but a promoter of peace and con- 
cord among his colleagues. His death has caused a gloom in the profession, and in 
the social circle, that many years will not wholly efface. But alas ! there is a chasm 
more extensive, and a gloom more heart-rending. His amiable widow and his two 
little ones are desolate ; the husband is not, and the children are fatherless. May 
God temper the wind to the shorn lambs, and while speaking in judgment, be nigh 
o bl«isa wi«b his tender mercies." 



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